Julia Christine Botin

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Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2041001716972405006&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-04-06T07%3A08%3A13.755172%3A578ee3ee-bf6f-414f-b218-25aa81f9daa4%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=aae24d01f60fb922abaf65b66228b986e5acb7fa&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:560px;height:316px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2041001716972405006"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script>MANILA -- Several government agencies on Monday held a reintegration program for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.This included a job fair where around 5,000 jobs are available from 15 private recruitment agencies, 13 local employers, and various government agencies.Around 4,400 Filipinos have been repatriated by the government since the conflict began, both in government-chartered and commercial flights.&quot;Marami sa trabaho dito are healthcare, caregiving, marami rin hospitality, may government-to-government sa Croatia for hotel workers, sa DOLE marami rin vacancies for call centers and BPO, including accounting services,&quot; said Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan of the Overseas Workers&#x27; Welfare Administration.Caunan said 60 percent of the repatriated OFWs are female domestic helpers now seeking local employment or business opportunities.&quot;Marami sa kanila ang nagsasabi na gusto na nilang magtrabaho dito o maghanap ng trabaho abroad o magsimula ng negosyo,&quot; she said.&quot;1,400 ang gustong magnegosyo ulit, higit 600 ang naghahanap ng local employment, 742 ang naghahanap ng trabaho abroad, yung iba may existing businesses na at gusto mag-expand,&quot; she added.A significant number of the repatriates said they would still want to go abroad to seek jobs outside the Middle East.&quot;Admittedly nung nag-survey kami, marami pa rin ang gusto mag-abroad, tinitingnan nila markets outside Middle East like Europe na nagbukas sa ating mga kababayan, marami rin sa Asia,&quot; Caunan said.The Department of Migrant Workers, for its part, clarified that there is no deployment ban to the Middle East, so Filipinos may still fly there if their airspace allows it.But the department said it will be stricter for those seeking jobs in the region.&quot;What we&#x27;re doing right now is we&#x27;re being strict with pagtingin ng dokumento lalo yung newly-hired workers, yung new employers, we are looking at their documentation kasi kailangan sigurado na sila ay bukas at makakapagtrabaho ang workers, sa ngayon kasi maraming pinapauwi,&quot; said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.He assured that workers will be able to go back to their jobs once the conflict de-escalates.The DMW and OWWA said they could not quantify how many Middle East-bound OFWs are unable to fly back to work due to restrictions.&quot;We have been helping those who could not leave, patuloy lang ang ating effort dito, of course, kasi apektado rin ilang sektor sa abroad, galing nga ako don, may sectors gaya ng hospitality, transport, even construction,&quot; Cacdac said.<div>OFW stories</div>Hundreds of OFWs participated in the reintegration program, bringing stories on how they ended back in the country after several years working abroad.Laina Gampong, a domestic helper in Kuwait since 2013, volunteered for the repatriation program out of fear.&quot;Natatakot po kami sa giyera doon, tuwing gabi parang may nahuhulog na missile, tapos parang laging kinakabahan dahil sa bomba,&quot; she said.Gampong asked for permission from her employer if she can leave to go to the embassy, where she stayed in a government shelter for two weeks.&quot;Malala don kasi yung bomba, delikado talaga. Maraming OFW don kinakabahan habang nasa shelter,&quot; she said.Others were forced to leave as their companies ceased operations.Mary Jane Alcala, a cleaner from the UAE since 2006, was among the latest batch of repatriates. &quot;Nag-stop din work namin, no work no pay, syempre rent namin problema,&quot; she said.&quot;Actually, valid pa naman visa ko, siguro pag naging ok ang sitwasyon, baka, pero di sigurado if babalik o mag-stay,&quot; Alcala added.She said she will try to establish a farm and agriculture business in Leyte before seeking job opportunities abroad.&quot;Kasi may lupa kami, gusto naming taniman yun, poultry and livestock. If ever maging okay takbo ng business, syempre mag-stay,&quot; she said.

Several government agencies on Monday held a reintegration program for OFWs displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Several government agencies on Monday held a reintegration program for OFWs displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

5000 jobs available for displaced OFWs due to Middle East conflict

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5000 jobs available for displaced OFWs due to Middle East conflict

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 06, 2026 02:47 PM PHT

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OFWs

Middle East

war

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