OFWs in Haiti relieved to be back home

MANILA, Philippines - Donna Bacurin shed tears when she arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Haiti yesterday morning.

She flew in with her husband Gregorio and four other earthquake survivors: Rosario and Mikaela Santos, Sonny Maring and Rochelle Cruz.

Bacurin was in a wheelchair and her arms were bandaged. She could have died after she was hit by falling debris from a quake-ravaged building, but escaped with only minor injuries.  

Filipinos in Haiti were living in tents and were unable to get a good night’s sleep and decent meals after the earthquake, Bacurin said.

Administrator Carmelita Dimzon of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said they gave Bacurin and the other survivors food and coffee.

“They told us that what they experienced felt like it’s already the end of the world,” she said.

“So the first thing OWWA will do is provide them with counseling to help them cope with the trauma.

“But the good thing that happened there is that Filipinos are looking after each other. That is why they were all crying when they left Haiti.”

Dimzon said a total of 70 Filipinos were supposed to be repatriated in batches from Haiti this week, but only six were able to obtain transit visas from the United States.

Dimzon said five more Filipinos are arriving from Haiti today and another batch of 13 are flying home on Sunday.

Forty other Filipinos are still in the Dominican Republic awaiting their US transit visas, she added.

Dimzon said four Filipinos who were included in the initial list of repatriates opted to stay behind as they expressed hope that they could still get jobs there.

Many Filipinos in Haiti already own homes and have good jobs and they would rather stay there despite the devastation, she added.

Dimzon gave assurance that the government would be able to facilitate employment for earthquake survivors who would opt to work abroad.

For those who decide to stay home, OWWA is ready to extend loans and assistance in putting up their own business, she added.        – With Helen Flores