The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on its official website that their agency is ready to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be repatriated from Syria as violence escalates and the security situation there grows more unstable.

The Philippine government ordered mandatory repatriation of OFWs from Syria after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the crisis alert level in Syria from 3 to 4.

Labor Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz is encouraging OFWs in Syria to avail the mandatory repatriation program of the government by saying that the Philippines can guarantee their welfare, safety, and protection.

She said, “We are prepared to assist them in with a package of assistance when they arrive.”

In ensuring adequate support to OFWs from Syria, the DOLE secretary cited the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) that has a number of beneficial programs for them. One of them is the Balik-Pinay, Balik Hanap-buhay Program, a project that targets distressed women OFWs specifically those working as domestic helpers.

Under the Balik-Pinay, Balik-Hanapbuhay Program, women OFWs are given Php10,000.00 livelihood/business development assistance. Beneficiaries are expected to use the funds to start a business that will provide them livelihood opportunities. They can choose to use the money for trading or general merchandise sales/dealership; neighborhood store; agri-business; food service; services; e-load station; and production or manufacturing.

Baldoz reported that since the said project was implemented, the NRCO has distributed P16.923 million to 1,630 individual OFWs and eight (8) OFW groups in all of the country’s 15 regions. The Balik-Pinay, Balik-Hanapbuhay Program is a project of the NRCO of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency of the DOLE,

The DOLE chief added that the Balik-Pinay, Balik-Hanapbuhay Program also offers skills training so beneficiaries can receive free training in cosmetology, haircutting, foot spa, food processing, massage, reflexology, baking, native snack preparation, handicraft, flower arrangement, dress making, beauty care, and pedicure and manicure. After the training, OFWs will be given with service business starter kits so they can easily start a home business.

Baldoz said that OFWs who want to start big businesses can choose the P2-billion OFW Reintegration Program which allows them to borrow up to Php2 million. This loan offer has low-interest and would not require any collateral.

Baldoz said, “For OFWs in Syria who will return to the Philippines, we encourage them to remain in the country because there are jobs and other non-wage employment opportunities that are waiting for them, where the pay or income is much greater than their salaries as domestic service workers in Syria.”

“If they remain in the country, we could better protect them. It will also minimize the social cost of being away from their homeland which could be higher in vulnerable occupations like domestic work,” Baldoz finally said.