DOLE: nearly 100K OFWs stranded worldwide

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on May 31, 2020, that almost 100,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are stranded worldwide, with the majority located in the Middle East.

These stranded OFWs are facing various challenges including lockdowns in their host countries, distress necessitating repatriation, or expired contracts with no available commercial flights back to the Philippines.

Data from Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) as of May 29, 2020, indicated a total of 98,615 stranded OFWs, with 83,483 in the Middle East, 12,050 in Europe and the Americas, and 3,082 in Asian countries.

The majority of stranded OFWs in the Middle East are land-based, while those in Europe and the Americas are predominantly sea-based workers.

Among the total stranded OFWs, 19,631 are identified as having unfinished contracts or are distressed and require repatriation soon, with a significant number from the Middle East and Europe/Americas.

Despite the challenges, DOLE's POLOs have facilitated the repatriation of 36,625 OFWs since the start of the pandemic.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) anticipates the return of over 40,000 OFWs to the Philippines by the end of June.