Around 200 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Qatar had the best surprise of their lives as President Rodrigo Duterte himself welcomed these “modern day heroes” at the Clark International Airport, Thursday, December 7.

The OFWs, who arrived about 4pm Thursday were greeted by the president at past 6pm. President Duterte earlier attended the Kapampangan Food Festival at the ASEAN Convention Center in Clark and dropped by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Paskong Salubong Para sa Mga OFW at the Airport.

During his speech, President Duterte offered training to OFWs to help them “optimize resources available in their area.”

Despite the delay in meeting the president, the OFWs were all big smiles as they received gifts from the president where 8 OFWs received P50,000 each, while others got appliance packages worth P10,000.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the government will allot financial aid for OFWs who wish to come home permanently and start to put up their own business. In the past 2 years, OFW remittances have reached USD 27 billion, according to Bello.

iDOLE or the OFW ID cards were also distributed to more than 200 OFWs from Qatar.

Source: CNN Philippines