DSWD provides assistance to repatriated OFWs

The Department of Social Welfare and Development announced on Thursday that 410 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) forced to return to the country due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East have received services from its various programs.

Juan Carlo Marquez, assistant secretary of the DSWD’s Policy and Planning Group, said that the department was working closely with the repatriation efforts of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Marquez said that one of the primary services offered by the DSWD was psychosocial first aid, which seeks to assist Filipinos in overcoming the trauma they experience from the war.

“As soon as repatriated OFWs arrive at the airports, they are immediately approached and interviewed by our trained social workers, our angels in red vest, to better understand what they need and to alleviate stress,” he said.

Aside from psychosocial assistance, the DSWD spokesperson also said that individuals were granted cash assistance through the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations and the Sustainable Livelihood Program to temporarily handle their day-to-day needs.

The amount of cash received under these programs was said to be determined based on the assessment of social workers, with Filipinos set to receive between P7,000 to P20,000 that can be used for their employment or establishing a small business.