THE DEPARTMENT of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday committed to provide more than 200 Filipino workers pardoned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with reintegration programs to help them find quality jobs when they return to the Philippines.
In a statement, the agency said it will coordinate with the Philippine Embassy in the UAE to process their repatriation.
“We are also committed to providing comprehensive support to ensure their smooth and successful reintegration into Philippine society, through a whole-of-government collaboration with other government agencies,” it said.
“This very welcome gesture highlights the strong and enduring relationship between the Philippines and the UAE…”
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the UAE and the Philippines agreed on the deal in view of the “distinguished friendship” between both countries.
“It is the direct result of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s meeting with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, last November,” it said.
In June last year, 143 Filipinos detained in the UAE were also pardoned on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. De Vega last year said their offenses ranged from drug abuse, theft, to immigration-related violations such as absconding and overstaying.
The UAE was the second-leading destination of overseas Filipino workers in 2023 among Asian countries, according to the local statistics agency. — John Victor D. Ordoñez