Thirty-two (32) overseas Filipino workers (OFW) returned safely to the country from Israel earlier this afternoon onboard Etihad flight EY424 at the NAIA Terminal 3. They are the 19th batch of OFWs who have availed of the government’s voluntary repatriation program following the deadly attacks launched by Palestinian rebel group, Hamas, in early October last year in southern Israel.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Assistant Secretary for Reintegration Venecio V. Legaspi led the group of senior officials from various government agencies that welcomed the returning OFWs all of whom are caregivers.

Among the government agencies present were the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency of the DMW, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The returning OFWs received financial assistance worth P120,000 from the DMW, OWWA, DSWD, and TESDA as well as training and skills vouchers, on-site medical and physical check-ups from the DOH as well as medical references for future needs.

This latest batch brings to 559 the total number of OFWs who returned to the country from Israel since October 2023.

The group was earlier assisted as they transited through the Abu Dhabi International Airport by Vice-Consul Kevin Gomez, Protocol Officer Vince Echavez of the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (PE-Abu Dhabi), and Assistant Labor Attache Jesus Magsaysay of the DMW’s Migrant Workers Office Abu Dhabi (MWO – Abu Dhabi)