wide campaign has been launched here to appeal for support in the repatriation of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who already have exit visas but are in need of airline tickets so they could return home and be united with their families. The drive was launched by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office - Eastern Region Operation (POLO-ERO), spearheaded by Welfare Officer Ron Lionel Bartolome. Filipino advocacy, sports, professional and regional organizations have rallied around the POLO-ERO initiative. The first beneficiaries of the campaign, called “Lab Ko Si Kabayan,” are 10 stranded Filipino engineers who were recently recruited but were not deployed to the jobs they were contracted to do. Among those who provided airline tickets for the 10 distressed engineers were Saudi Arabia Hiligaynon, Order of the Knights of Rizal, Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers, Eduardo Nicdao of New Cabalen Restaurant, RRJM Manpower Services and the Beta Sigma Fraternity. Bartolome expressed his deep appreciation for the airline ticket donors. “Providing air tickets to distressed overseas Filipino workers is one way of helping our unfortunate compatriots who have encountered difficulties in their jobs. Now they can return home and start all over again. They could rebuild their lives for the sake of their families,” he said. __
