DILG: LGUs can't refuse returning OFWs

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reiterated that local government units (LGUs) cannot refuse the return of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to their home provinces as mandated by President Duterte.

As of Wednesday, May 27, 2020, the government has assisted approximately 7,500 returning OFWs with transportation, and the OWWA-Bicol has facilitated the return of 278 OFWs to the Bicol region.

The government has a seven-day period to send home about 24,000 OFWs who were stuck in quarantine facilities after being displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upon arrival, repatriated OFWs undergo triaging before being transported to their respective provinces, where they will undergo quarantine.

Due to the surge in arrivals, the protocol of mandatory 14-day quarantine in isolation centers with swab tests has been replaced by a default home quarantine with RT-PCR testing.

The OWWA Balik Pilipinas, Balik Hanapbuhay Livelihood Program has a budget of PHP700 million to provide reintegration packages offering livelihood support of up to P20,000 for returning OFWs.