ILOILO – A total of 46 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from this province currently working in Israel have been confirmed safe amid ongoing missile attacks from Iran, according to the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of Iloilo Province.
As of 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 19, PESO-Iloilo reported that the OFWs, who are based in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Rehovot, were accounted for through the coordinated efforts of Barangay PESO Coordinators and various OFW associations. These groups personally visited the families of the OFWs to gather updates about their relatives’ conditions abroad.
“They are all safe and they are opting to stay there. None of them have requested repatriation. Most of them are caregivers,” said PESO-Iloilo manager Cynthia Parcon-Dario in an interview with Panay News.
The 46 documented OFWs hail from the municipalities of Janiuay (3), Leganes (2), Maasin (10), Oton (4), Pototan (2), San Joaquin (2), Zarraga (16), Concepcion (1), Batad (1), Lambunao (1), Barotac Nuevo (1), Igbaras (1), and Dueñas (2).
Among those reported safe was an OFW whose cousin from Pototan contacted the provincial government’s emergency hotline to relay information about their condition.
These hotlines — 09989905663, 09177543833, 09616804428, and 09167583156 — are open 24/7 to attend to the needs and concerns of Ilonggo OFWs in Israel.
The emergency hotline service is part of the institutionalized “Task Force Bulig Ilonggo,” established through Executive Order No. 004, Series of 2020, to assist OFWs and their families during crises in conflict-affected areas.
Based on PESO’s 2023 barangay-level profiling, approximately 200 OFWs from Iloilo province are currently working in Israel.
Dario said that in the event distressed OFWs reach out to the hotline, PESO will document their concerns and conduct case intake procedures. This includes verifying whether they are requesting repatriation or other forms of assistance.
Should repatriation be requested, PESO-Iloilo will coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and other relevant agencies to facilitate their return.
Once repatriated, Ilonggo OFWs may avail of government support including a P10,000 financial aid package, psychosocial assistance from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), skills training through TESDA and DTI, or referrals to employment opportunities in private companies.
“For distressed OFWs from Israel or anywhere else, we provide P10,000 financial assistance. They undergo screening, and most of them meet the qualifications because they come from crisis-affected areas,” Dario added./PN
