KORONADAL CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development assured Friday it will provide services and emergency assistance to returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Kuwait in Central Mindanao.

Jackia Lao, DSWD 12 assistant regional director administration, said Officer-in-Charge Secretary Emmanuel A. Leyco directed them to ensure OFWs coming from Kuwait will be given necessary assistance.

“We are closely coordinating with our central office as well the labor department to find out if there are OFWs from Kuwait returning to the region,” she said.

Naira Aratuc, protective services division officer in charge, said the assistance for OFWs will depend on their needs.

“It could be medical assistance, psychosocial session or if needed, we will refer them to our sustainable livelihood or social pension teams,” Aratuc said.

In Manila, Leyco said much needs to be done to improve the labor and employment situation in the Philippines so Filipino will no longer rush to go abroad for work.

“It is clear that it is the deep-seated and widespread poverty that goads Filipinos to work abroad, even as it means leaving their families and young children behind and taking the risk of ending up with  cruel and inhuman employers,” he said.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a total deployment ban of Filipino workers to the Gulf state amid reports of abuse and maltreatment. The President made the pronouncement following the death of Joanna Demafelis, the OFW who was found dead in a freezer.

So far, around 580 OFWs from Kuwait have arrived in the country. (JBM/DSWD)