ANOTHER batch of 41 Filipino nationals, mostly overseas Filipino workers, arrived yesterday at the NAIA from strife-torn Syria and more are expected to come home in the coming days.

Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration chief Carmelita Dimzon said the repatriated workers have availed of the mandatory repatriation program of the government as it raised the alert level to 4 last December.

Dimzon also said that the release of the workers from their respective employers was made possible by the negotiating team of the government composed of officials from the departments of foreign affairs, labor and employment and OWWA. 

Exit clearances were granted to the workers after the employers agreed to allow them to leave the conflict-torn country. More repatriates are expected to arrive from Syria in the next few days with more registrants expected to flock to the Philippine Embassy in Damascus.

On orders of Dimzon, the OWWA repatriation team was at the NAIA to provide assistance through immigration and customs formalities.

The group was offered temporary shelter at the OWWA Halfway Home and assisted with their domestic transportation needs, even as an OWWA counseling team was also on hand to conduct stress debriefing.

The OFWs will also be briefed on the reintegration options, including business entrepreneurship under the P2-billion OFW Reintegration Program and starter kits under the livelihood assistance program to start micro businesses will likewise be offered.

Dimzon said that to date, OWWA  had  repatriated and assisted a total of 782  OFWs arriving from Syria.  Itchie G. Cabayan