Duterte welcomes home OFWs with gifts, offers business training

Angeles City (CNN Philippines, December 7) — What was supposed to be a simple homecoming for around 200 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) from Qatar turned out to be an extra special event as President Rodrigo Duterte himself welcomed them at the Clark International Airport.

The OFWs, who arrived around 4 in the afternoon Thursday, were greeted by the President who came in past 6 p.m.

Duterte earlier attended the Kapampangan Food Festival at the ASEAN Convention Center inside Clark, and dropped by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration's (OWWA) Paskong Salubong Para sa mga OFW at the airport.

In his speech, the President offered training to OFWs to help them optimize resources available in their area.

He said, "Whatever is doing brisk business in your place. We will try to find out kung paano ito malakasan [how to make it stronger], how we can help by marketing it."

But he added they have to do their part as well.

"But you have to learn something more of ditong mga bagong technology ngayon, online, tapos [with the new technology now, online and] - the use of the cyberspace. I mean it's not really that hard now to find a good business," he said.

Despite the slight delay, the OFWs wore big smiles as they received gifts from the President.

Eight OFWs received P50,000 each, while the others got appliance packages worth P10,000.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the government will allot  financial aid for OFWs who want to stay in the country and put up their own business.

For the past two years, remittances from OFWs have reached $27 billion dollars, Bello said.