Six overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated from Iran arrived safely on Saturday, 28 June, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
Five of the OFWs had been employed as shrimp hatchery technicians in Iran, while one was a Dubai-based domestic worker who had accompanied her employer to Iran as a tourist. They arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City aboard Emirates flight EK 334.
The repatriated workers were met by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Eduardo de Vega, DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, along with the MIA medical team and a social welfare officer from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
They were provided with food, medical services, temporary hotel accommodations, domestic flights back to their home provinces, and financial assistance of P150,000 each through the AKSYON Fund.
“The repatriation was made possible through the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran, led by Ambassador Roberto Manalo, in close coordination with the DMW and OWWA,” the DMW said.
The DMW added that two more OFWs from Iran will arrive on Saturday, 10:00 PM.
Meanwhile, to support reintegration, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) - NCR Pasay-Makati District Director Cariza Dacuma in a statement said that repatriated OFWs are among the priority recipients for TESDA’s certificate of scholarship grant commitment.
The certificate allows them to select their preferred technical-vocational courses and locate nearby training centers.
“We present these to them: what they can get from these certificates, how they can use them, who can use them, and what else they can do after completing their training,” Dacuma explained.
She also said that immediate family members of the repatriated workers may also avail of the same training benefits.
Among the most availed training from TESDA by repatriated workers who want to seek employment again abroad, according to Dacuma, include bread and pastry production, housekeeping, and caregiving.
“Others who want to stay here are requesting [training for] electrical installation and maintenance, refrigeration and air conditioning. Among the women, I spoke to someone who wants aesthetic services… maybe they want to open a parlor or salon,” she added.
Applicants may register online but are encouraged to visit the nearest TESDA provincial or district office for proper guidance and supervision.