EVEN as around 2,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel have been repatriated since October 2023, the majority remain hesitant to come home due to strong emotional and professional ties with their clients.
This was according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which noted that a large number of OFWs in Israel are employed as caregivers.
“By the nature of their work, they work closely, have emotional as well as professional ties with their elderly patients or wards, and are therefore committed, dedicated to their work,” said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac in a press briefing.
“This is why it’s not so easy for them to let go, to come home, because it’s pretty much part of their responsibility to take care of their patients, of their wards—especially the elderly,” he added.
Since hostilities escalated in Israel in October 2023, about 2,000 OFWs have sought repatriation, with another 178 currently awaiting return to the Philippines.
However, data shows there are approximately 30,700 Filipinos legally living and working in Israel, with 80 percent employed as caregivers.
Cacdac also acknowledged that the financial needs of their families in the Philippines contribute to their decision to stay.
“With regards to the salary or financial gain out of working in Israel, yes, that is a factor too,” he said.
To encourage voluntary repatriation, the DMW is offering various forms of assistance, including financial aid.
“These are safety nets to help stem the tide for our OFWs who lost their jobs or temporarily lost their jobs,” said Cacdac.
Each repatriated OFW is entitled to receive P75,000 from the DMW and another P75,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Additional assistance includes skills training vouchers from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), business opportunities from the Department of Trade and Industry, and medical assistance from the Department of Health. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)