13 Ilocano OFWs from Libya return home

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Laoag City—At least 13 overseas Filipino workers from war-torn Libya are now reunited with their families back here in Ilocos Norte, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration reported.

Nona Marie Ganal, overseas workers welfare officer in Ilocos Norte said the OWWA is now processing their immediate financial assistance worth P10,000 each. OWWA is also giving them an orientation on stress debriefing programs which they may want to avail from the government.

OWWA records show that a total of 452 OFWs working in Thailand are from Region I. Nineteen of them are from Ilocos Norte, 95 from Ilocos Sur, 112 from La Union and 226 are from Pangasinan.

Aside from the 13 Ilocos Norte OFWs who came from Libya, there were eight more returnees from Pangasinan, two from Ilocos Sur, two from La Union.

“We are expecting more OFWs from Ilocos Norte to come home,” Ms. Ganal said. OWWA assists OFWs starting from the pre-departure stage to ensure their safety and success until they return home.

As part of the re-integration package for repatriated OFWs, the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) is also offering skills training which they can use for local employment or starting a business on their own.

According to OWWA, the agency has set aside P2 billion for the re-integration program of distressed and returning OFWs to help them start a brand new life back home.

However, Ms. Ganal said most of the OFWs are hesitant to accept the local employment offer as they still prefer to work abroad.

In view of this, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has been assisting some of them to seek for re-employment abroad but this time, in a safer environment.

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