January 8, 2025
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday vowed to bring back the 220 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) recently pardoned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In a statement, the DMW also promised to reintegrate them into Philippine society through a whole-of-government approach under the Bagong Pilipinas initiative.
The DMW said its Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in the UAE, with the help of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, is expediting the necessary documentation and logistical arrangements to bring the pardoned OFWs back home.
The agency expressed gratitude to the UAE government for granting clemency, announced on Dec. 26, 2024, during the Gulf State’s 53rd National Day celebration.
The pardoned individuals were detained for various offenses.
“This very welcome gesture highlights the strong and enduring relationship between the Philippines and the UAE, a bond that was further reinforced in the recent meeting between His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in November 2024,” according to the DMW statement.
The DMW assured that it would assist the pardoned OFWs in their journey toward reintegration, echoing President Marcos’ appreciation for UAE’s generosity.
In June 2024, a similar act of goodwill saw 143 Filipinos pardoned in the UAE during the Eid al-Adha celebration. (PNA)