The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Overseas Filipino Workers in Japan and Bahrain should shoulder their fare to come back in the Philippines.

The said decision of DFA was due to the level of crisis currently happening in Japan. This is applicable not only to the OFWs but also to the non-essential embassy personnel and dependents.

The said crisis level was determine to be in level two. According to DFA, as of now, they should pay their own fare. But if the crisis level goes up to number three, that is the time for the Department to pay for them in order to go home.

It was assured by DFA that the funds of the government were enough in case the need for repatriation occurs which will mean an upgrade to the level of crisis.

Nevertheless, the safety of the Filipinos abroad will be ensured by the Department.

The deportation and volunteer repatriation of the Overseas Filipino Workers in tsunami-hit Japan and strongly agitated countries in the Middle East like Libya and Bahrain would result to the increase of unemployment in our country.

In the midst of the tragedies in Asia, Representatives Teodoro Casino of Bayan Muna Partylist and Emmaline Aglipay of DIWA Partylist urged the government to fund the deported Overseas Filipino Workers from Japan and other Middle East countries by giving them local jobs.

The former stated that we should seek opportunities to the crisis. Instead of deploying the OFWs in other countries, he said that the government should fund local business for them in the form of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that would also boost the entrepreneurial industry of our country.

The latter, on the other hand, finds that a “concrete” contingency plan must be given to the repatriated OFWs in the form of local jobs. She also mentioned that it should be a warning for the government to take care of the OFWs condition abroad.

These answers given by these lawmakers were still on the hand of the government: to decide whether to act or not on the mentioned contingencies.