OFWs fleeing Israel, Palestine assured of DSWD help
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ready to assist Filipino migrant workers returning from Israel and Palestine.
The two countries are now in war following the terrorist attack of Hamas militants against Israel.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday directed the department’s operations group led by Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez to coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for the details of the Filipino workers who wanted to be repatriated from the conflict-torn southern Israel.
Gatchalian asked DSWD official to coordinate with the office of Migrant Workers’ OIC Hans Cacdac to get the list of potential repatriated Pinoys from Israel.
The AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation) and SLP (Sustainable Livelihood Program) are being prepared for the affected overseas Filipino workers to be repatriated.
Based on her conversation with Cacdac, Usec. Romualdez said an initial eight Filipino migrant workers have opted for voluntarily repatriation and are scheduled to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) anytime next week.
The DSWD Operations Group is now preparing for the intervention on the eight Filipino migrant workers which is through the AICS and SLP programs of the Department.
The AICS is one of the social welfare services of the DSWD that provides medical assistance, burial, transportation, education, food, or financial assistance for other support services or needs of a person or family.
The SLP is a capability-building program of the DSWD that provides access to opportunities that increase the productivity of the livelihood assets of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized communities, in order to improve their socioeconomic well-being.
Usec. Romualdez earlier reported to Gatchalian that personnel from the DSWD Field Office 1 (Ilocos Region) were able to contact Erlinda Aguirre, mother of the Filipina nurse Angelyn, in her home in Binmaley, Pangasinan on Thursday.
Home visit and assessment were conducted by DSWD FO-1 Western Pangasinan satellite office personnel in Binmaley, Pangasinan. Social Welfare Office 2 Dean Arlu Javier provided food subsidy for the Aguirre family to help augment on their travel needs to Manila to pick up the cadaver of Angelyn, according to Usec. Romualdez.
Based on the report of FO-1 Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan, the transportation going to Pangasinan and to Manila will be provided by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
