Manila Bulletin
Gov’t braces for close to 300,000 returning jobless OFWs
The Philippine government is implementing retraining programs for hundreds of thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning home due to the global economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
Nearly 300,000 OFWs are expected to return this year, adding to existing unemployment challenges in the Philippines.
The government's reskilling initiatives offer free courses for jobs like call-center agents, teachers, and contact tracers, with over 5,000 returnees already enrolled.
Popular course choices among returning workers include those in healthcare, technology, and tourism.
One returning worker, Marlon Gabitano, a former history teacher from Qatar, is seeking temporary employment or business opportunities through online seminars to support his family.
Historically, many educated Filipinos have sought better-paying opportunities abroad, with remittances from around 10 million OFWs significantly contributing to the Philippine economy.
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President Rodrigo Duterte announced the Philippine government's continued efforts to repatriate thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As of October 1, 57% of the estimated 400,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) needing repatriation due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been brought home, with approximately 229,000 repatriated.
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As of Friday, 127 sea-based Filipino workers remain stranded abroad and are awaiting repatriation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The fifth batch of remains of 35 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, September 29, 2020.
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Sixteen Filipino seafarers and three land-based OFWs have returned to the Philippines from China on Tuesday.
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