MANILA — Some 100 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were repatriated from Kuwait arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Friday morning September 1, 2023 on board Gulf Air.
The repatriates were assisted by officials from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) assisted the repatriated OFWs and noted that common reasons stated by the Filipinos for the repatriation were maltreatment from their employers, improperly documented, ran away from their employers, poor working conditions, contract violation, delayed salary, and expecting a child.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco underscored the need for Filipino overseas workers to depart with proper documentation.
“As in the case of the repatriates, because they left with the proper documentation from the Philippine government, the appropriate government agencies were able to more easily rescue them and give proper assistance,” said Tansingco.
He highlighted that those leaving as a tourist and working abroad face a high risk for exploitation, given their vulnerabilities of having improper documentation.
The BI is a member-agency of the IACAT tasked to conduct assessment of departing Filipinos to ensure proper documentation. — (FREEMAN)