The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) affirmed that it was open to provide both financial and livelihood assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) that were forced to head back to the Philippines due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Social Welfare secretary Rex Gatchalian said during an interview that the agency had been instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that repatriated OFWs would be provided with ample support as they reintegrate into the community.

Gatchalian further explained that the said assistance was set to come from the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) programs.

Asides from individual livelihood programs, he noted that the agency also had a setup where a group of individuals can work together to conduct their respective business.

“Meron rin kaming mga set up na inaayos namin ngayon. Inorganize natin yung mga OFW groups na umuwi into Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations. Ibig sabihin, grupo sila ng 20 OFWs at bubuo sila ng association,” he said.

(We also have a set up that we’re currently fixing. We are organizing OFW groups into Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations. These groups contain 20 OFWs and they form a sort of association)

“Normally yung group, yung negosyo nila, sama-sama sila, either magtayo ng malaking bigasan, meron mga patahian. Yan yung dalawang track,” he added

(Normally, the businesses that these groups form are rice dealerships while others start tailoring shops. Those are the typical tracks)

In terms of application for the mentioned programs, Gatchalian shared that OFWs may either voluntarily apply for the initiative or await referrals from the Department of Migrant Workers.

“Kasi ang direktiba ng ating Pangulo is whole of government approach. Di lang isang Departamento ang tutulong sa pag-reintegrate o sa pagbigay ng kabuhayan sa mga OFW natin na pansamantalang nawalan ng pagkakakitaan,” he said.

(The directive of the President is a whole of government approach. Providing re–integration and livelihood to OFWs that momentarily lost their source of income was not relegated to one department)

In a separate interview, DSWD assistant secretary Irene Dumlao mentioned that around 2,500 Filipinos had already received support from the department’s Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG).

On the other hand, she said that there have been five OFWs that were given P20,000 through SLP.