TACLOBAN CITY — The government has intensified assistance for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Eastern Visayas, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD) office here in the region rolling out cash aid and livelihood support for repatriates affected by tensions in the Middle East.
The assistance was distributed during the “Bayanihan Para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa” National Reintegration Network Regional Fair and Balik Turo: A Hero’s Journey Home held on April 15, 2026, in Tacloban City, where multiple government agencies provided reintegration services for returning workers.
Under its OFW Salubong Program, DSWD-8 extended emergency cash assistance through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program to 23 OFWs affected by the Middle East crisis, each receiving P5,000, for a total of P115,000.
In addition, eight repatriated OFWs underwent orientation and profiling under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), aimed at preparing them for income-generating projects and long-term economic reintegration.
DSWD-8 also provided Php 5,000 cash aid to one OFW not directly affected by the Middle East situation, while 115 other OFWs participated in SLP orientation and profiling sessions as part of broader reintegration efforts.
The OFW Salubong Program is designed to address immediate needs such as financial support and psychosocial assistance, while also linking beneficiaries to sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The initiative is implemented in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, as part of the government’s continuing commitment to support the recovery and reintegration of returning migrant workers into their home communities.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
