THE Department of Trade and Industry regional office in Iloilo City is urging returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) or their family to visit the Negosyo Centers (NCs) and attend entrepreneurship seminars to open their minds on the opportunities that abound in their areas.

DTI Regional Director Rebecca Rascon said the NCs in the region have already set up assistance desks for OFWs upon the directive from DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez following the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Western Visayas is a rich supplier of more than 15,000 OFWs in the Middle East, Hongkong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, China, United States and other countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Rascon said the setting up of the OFW assistance desks is in compliance to the recent directive of the President to provide assistance to the OFWs, especially those displaced by the economic crisis in Saudi Arabia and in other countries.

The President encouraged them to go into business as the government is ready to help the OFWs.

DTI Information Officer David Sinay said the plan involves linking OFWs or their families to micro finance institutions to fund their projects in case these are qualified and accepted by these financial institutions.

DTI has been conducting entrepreneurial seminars to these OFWs and members of their families in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, according to Sinay.