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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider OWWA ready to provide support for 34 Dabawenyo OFWs in Iraq, Iran

OWWA ready to provide support for 34 Dabawenyo OFWs in Iraq, Iran

Published Jan 14, 2020 12:00 am
By Antonio Colina  DAVAO CITY – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)-Davao said it was ready to provide support for the 34 workers from Davao Region in Iraq and Iran should the government pursue the massive repatriation program due to the US-Iran tension. FILE—A man walks past the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) building along F.B. Harrison St. in Pasay City. (Federico Cruz) | mb.com.ph (Federico Cruz / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Carmelo T. Elaya, OWWA-Davao chief for programs and services division, said in an interview that at least 24 of these workers were in Iraq and 10 in Iran. There are a total of 1,600 Filipino workers in Iraq and 1,000 workers Iran who are being monitored by the welfare officers in the Middle East, according to Elaya. The Philippine embassies in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon had earlier raised the alert level 4, calling for immediate forced repatriation due to the escalating tensions between the US and Iran. On January 9, the government lifted the alert level status in Iran and reduced to alert level 2 status in Lebanon on Thursday last week. “Our welfare officers from OWWA had prepared contingency plan to prepare the OFWs and their families for possible repatriation on the system of repatriation,” he added. He said the OWWA-Davao has already prepared the reintegration program called “Balik Pinas! Balik Hanapbuhay! Program, a “non-cash livelihood support/assistance intended to provide immediate relief to returning member OFWs, active or non-active who are displaced from their jobs due to war/political conflicts in host countries or policy reforms controls and changes by the host government or are victims of illegal recruitment and/or human trafficking or other distressful situations.” Returning OFWs would receive a livelihood assistance package worth P20,000, according to him. He said not all workers in Iraq wanted to be repatriated. He added a family of an OFW in Iraq went to OWWA-Davao last week informing it about the condition of a family member working there. “Last week, a family approached us because the OFW does not want to return home since he was in good condition there, away from the bombing,” he added. The US-Iran friction stemmed from the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani upon orders of US President Donald Trump. Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at two American military bases in Iraq.
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