Marcos infuses ₱3B to bring home, support Middle East OFWs

President Marcos has ordered the release of an additional ₱3 billion to strengthen the government's repatriation and reintegration program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

- By ARGYLL CYRUS GEDUCOS

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the additional funds would finance the entire "repatriation chain," including post-departure assistance, flights, and reintegration services for returning Filipinos.

"War or not, there are Filipinos in extreme distress that we should bring home," Recto said in a statement on Sunday, June 21.

As of June 17, a total of 10,446 Filipinos had been safely returned to the Philippines through Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)-organized humanitarian flights.

The figure includes 8,281 OFWs, 1,803 dependents, and 362 stranded Filipino citizens.

Recto said some of the flights had also served as medical evacuation missions.

"If you will recall, these flights became medevacs for sick Filipinos as well. The DMW, through the brilliant leadership of Secretary Hans Cacdac, brought medical personnel on board to care for them," he said.

Beyond the airport