A multi-agency program led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) aims to give livelihood opportunities to about 700,000 returning Overseas Filipino Workers who were dislocated by the global pandemic.
“Thus to be able to reach to as many (OFWs) as we can, we are implementing this program in five pilot regions Regions 1, 3, 4-A, 6, and 7. These are the provinces with the biggest number of our repatriated kababayans,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez during the launch Tuesday of the “Agri-Negosyo Para sa OFWs” program.
As of January 2021, there were 569,462 OFWs that have been repatriated to the country with estimates of some 100,000 more will be returning in the coming months.
Aside from Metro Manila, repatriated OFWs are mostly based in the provinces of Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, Cebu, Iloilo, Rizal, Pangasinan and Pampanga.
“This program aims to, firstly, immediately respond to the need for jobs and livelihood of our repatriated OFWs who have lost or left their jobs abroad because of the pandemic,” Lopez said. Othel V. Campos