A video circulating online is claiming that the Philippine government will provide P150,000 in cash assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning to the country due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This is not true.
The clip is from an old video published in June 2025. In an advisory, the Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) has denied the distribution of such financial aid.
On March 4, an FB user uploaded a video featuring a clip of OWWA Administrator Patricia Cuanan. In the video, Cuanan supposedly announced that OFWs affected by the war and coming back to the Philippines are entitled to receive P75,000 from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and another P75,000 from OWWA.
The 44-second reel contains this superimposed text:
“Php 150,000. Malaking Tulong Na yan samin Mga ofw kung Sakaling mkauwi (sic) kami dahil sa geraa (sic)
(Php 150,000. That would be a big help for us OFWs if we return home due to the war).”
A reverse image search led to an old video published by BusinessWorld on June 19, 2025, also a period of heightened tension between Israel and Iran. At that time, OFWs who participated in the government’s repatriation program received P150,000 financial assistance from the DMW’s Aksyon Fund and OWWA’s Emergency Repatriation Fund.
At present, there are no announcements or credible reports that these same agencies are proving a similar amount to OFWs amid the ongoing war against Iran launched by the United States and Israel.
In an FB advisory on March 5, OWWA also debunked the claims and urged the public to remain cautious in dealing with information without legitimate basis.
“PAALALA SA ATING MGA KABABAYAN. May kumakalat na impormasyon online na nagsasabing may ibinibigay na ₱150,000 financial assistance mula sa DMW at OWWA. Ang balitang ito ay HINDI TOTOO,” the agency wrote.
(Reminder to our fellow countrymen: There is information circulating online claiming that a ₱150,000 financial assistance is being provided by the DMW and OWWA. This news is NOT TRUE).
The agency explained that other benefits are available to OWWA members and their families, such as financial assistance for those in distress, livelihood programs for returning OFWs, as well as training, scholarships, and upskilling opportunities.
The false video surfaced after the Feb. 28 bombing of Iran, which retaliated by attacking U.S. military bases in countries around the region. As of March 6, a total of 299 Filipinos affected by the war have safely returned to the Philippines, including 23 OFWs.
Published by an FB user, the video received 571,000 views; 8,900 reactions; 3,584 comments; and 4,900 shares as of writing time. At least three other FB users reposted similar claims using screenshots of the old video.
