'AYAW MAGSIUWI' Almost 200K displaced OFWs due to COVID-19 don’t want repatriation —DOLE

Of the more than 300,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, almost 200,000 would rather stay in their host countries than return home to the Philippines, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Tuesday.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III reported that there are a total of 343,551 OFWs affected by the global health crisis, of which 341,161 were displaced and 2,390 got infected.
“Of the 341,000 [plus] displaced, either terminated or continued to be employed but unable to go to work, only around 95,000 are stranded,” Bello said during a Palace briefing.
“Almost 200,000 do not want to come home. They’d rather stay there, especially those coming from America, Europe, United Kingdom, ayaw magsiuwi,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Labor chief said that of the 42,000 OFWs earlier expected to be repatriated within May until June, only 16,679 will be actually sent home.

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