Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo is set to assist other officials of the Duterte administration in welcoming OFs (overseas Filipinos) composed of 17 families (17 mothers, four fathers, and 17 children) and 3 adults who will arrive at the NAIA Airport today, May 4 at 3:35 PM – Terminal 3 via Cebu Pacific Airlines.

The OFs have been repatriated from Riyadh and will resume their lives in the Philippines, but are in need of emergency assistance from the Philippine government.

Sec. Taguiwalo said that the DSWD will give what assistance are within the Department’s programs and means. Each head of the 17 families will  receive from the DSWD  P5,000 in cash at the airport upon arrival as soon as they present their travel documents.

“The provision of cash assistance by the DSWD is one of the agreements reached during the inter-agency meeting on April 20. After President Rodrigo Duterte arrived from his state visit in Saudi Arabia on April 17, he instructed agencies to help the repatriated OFs who sought amnesty.  OWWA, Labor Secretary Bello, and the President provided P5,000 each  or P15,000 for every OF. The DSWD is not certain if this will be sustained by the same sources, but we will work and coordinate with them to determine how we can help the OFs. OWWA also provided temporary shelter to the OFs,” she said.

The welfare head expressed hope that the returning Filipinos will find jobs and means of livelihood very soon. She said that the DSWD will offer what programs and services are within its means to help them, “But again, we need all the support of other government agencies to help returning Filipinos restart their lives here. We also hope that the local government units in the communities the OFs will return to will also pitch in to help them, ” she said.###