OWWA expects 180,000 OFWs to return by year-end

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) anticipates that between 150,000 and 180,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will return to the Philippines by the end of 2021.

As of Thursday, a total of 654,546 OFWs have returned home amid the global threat of the Delta coronavirus variant.

OWWA chief Hans Leo Cacdac stated that a total of 653,401 OFWs had returned home since the start of the pandemic prior to this report.

He estimates that 50% of returning OFWs were displaced or stopped working abroad due to the pandemic, while the other half are returning to visit family and will depart again.

Returning OFWs receive government assistance for food, transport, and accommodation during quarantine, along with P10,000 cash aid under the Bayanihan II Act.

OWWA has spent P5.2 billion on cash assistance for 520,093 OFWs.

The Budget department has committed to an additional P7 billion in funding for OWWA, though the final amount is yet to be determined.

The general rule for returning OFWs is to stay in hotel quarantine facilities for 10 days, with exceptions for those from travel-restricted countries (14 days) or fully vaccinated individuals from 'green list' countries (7 days).