MANILA, Philippines — An average of 900 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are returning home every month, the Department of Migrant Workers reported yesterday.
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said they have been receiving requests for repatriation from the families of the OFWs.
Cacdac noted that the recruitment agencies shoulder the repatriation costs of about 70 percent of the repatriates.
At least 30 percent of those seeking repatriation could not immediately return home because of pending legal cases, he said.
From August 2022 to July 24 this year, the DMW received 33,650 requests for repatriation. Of the figure, 26,994 have been repatriated, for a resolution rate of 80 percent.
Among those repatriated were 1,108 OFWs who were brought home from war-torn countries and areas.
Based on DMW data, 13,006 OFWs have been repatriated since July 2023 using the agency’s Aksyon fund.
8,000 jobs in Taiwan
Meanwhile, around 8,000 jobs are available for OFWs in Taiwan, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office reported yesterday.
MECO chairman Silvestre Bello said the 8,000 vacancies would be offered at job fairs to be held on Sept. 9 and 11 in the cities of Laoag and Vigan.
“Among the good news in these job fairs is that prospective hires will not be charged placement fees,” Bello said. “There will be no deployment cost for the job aspirants.”
Bello said 17 Taiwan manpower agencies and employers are set to participate in the job fairs.
Jobseekers are advised to check the DMW portal for the available jobs in Taiwan.