April 15, 2024

Mission Statement

Filed under: OFW Assistance — Joshua Sarmiento @ 3:52 pm

Villar SIPAG believes in the courage, heroism and hard work
of overseas Filipino workers and is committed to help, protect and serve
them and their families wherever they are.

Villar SIPAG, through the initiatives of its chairman Senator Manny Villar, has been consistently and untiringly providing assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers or OFWs throughout the decades.

Sagip OFW / OFW Assistance

It is estimated that nearly two million Filipinos leave the country to work overseas each year. This roughly translates to over 4,000 workers being deployed daily. It is unfortunate that many OFWs fall victims to illegal recruiters, are maltreated by their employers, or get entangled in criminal operations.

Through the initiatives of and financial assistance from Senator Manny Villar, the Villar SIPAG established the Sagip OFW (Save the OFWs) program in 2008. Since then, there have been at least a thousand OFWs who have been assisted either by being provided airfare to return to the Philippines as well as their return trip to their home provinces, medical aid, burial services assistance, legal aid, and livelihood skills training and business start-up assistance.

When asked why he has chosen to assist OFWs, Senator Villar says, “I started my home-building company by building one house at a time and the very first person who trusted me was the wife of an OFW – Mrs. Magtibay entrusted to me her husband’s hard-earned money from being a seaman in exchange for the first house I built, it was the break that got me started. They had to endure being away from each other in order to provide their children a home and education. This is the sacrifice that our OFWs have to make. This is why I feel a strong connection with the Filipinos and Filipinas who have been pushed to work abroad because they feel their opportunities for a better life are better outside their own country.”

The stories of some OFWs who were assisted by the Villar SIPAG are featured in the book Lakbayani, published in 2010.

(To receive a copy of Lakbayani, please write us and provide your full name, mailing address, and contact number/s.)

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Sagip OFW / OFW Repatriation

Filed under: OFW Assistance — Joshua Sarmiento @ 3:51 pm

Summary of Assistance provided by the Sagip-OFW Helpline as of January 25, 2012
20082009201020112012Total
Repatriated
OFWs Repatriated (*non funded)17641582124689
  (**Funded by MBV)901212818 257
Remains2126122 61
       
Total Repatriated2875621223241007
Other Assistance
Fare – Transpo. Assistance (repatriated OFWs)9021329371370
Medical Assistance51 6
Legal Assistance5627 83
Financial Assistance425135166
Scholarship Grant   1 1
Livelihood6322 40
  
Total of Other Assistance Provided100331321012566
       
Total (Repatriated + Other Assistance)38789315413361573

* air fare not provided by MBV
** refer for next sheet (Funded by MBV) for details of repatriation

As of January 25, 2012 we have endorsed cases to DFA, OWWA, POEA and Post Abroad10267


Repatriated thru MBV’s fund: as of January 25, 2012

Date of RepatriationCountry of OriginNo. Of OFW RepatriatedRemarks
April 20, 2008Jordan11
April 24, 2008Abu Dhabi5
August 17, 2008Jordan5
August 20, 2008Jordan14
September 22, 2008Jordan24
September 30, 2008Bahrain1
November 26, 2008Abu Dhabi30
February 19, 2009Riyadh, KSA33
August 26, 2009Jordan54Mass Repatriation
Dammam16Mass Repatriation
Riyadh, KSA1Mass Repatriation
Jeddah4Mass Repatriation
Oman3Mass Repatriation
Syria10Mass Repatriation
May 18, 2010UAE1
November 12, 2010Malaysia265 minors
November 19, 2010Malaysia1 
April 7, 2011Dubai, UAE15 
April 14, 2011Dubai, UAE3 
Total 257 
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Skills UP & Livelihood Assistance Package

Filed under: OFW Assistance — Joshua Sarmiento @ 3:51 pm

Besides repatriating distressed or troubled OFWs, the Villar SIPAG also provides them livelihood opportunities. The foundation has forged partnerships with various organizations like the Ople Center that can assist returning OFWs gain the necessary skills that will allow them to find employment locally, or better yet, to set up their own enterprises.

Many of those who exhibited strong resolve to become entrepreneurs were assisted through micro business start-up packages.

Such is the case of Jeanilyn Martinez, a 30-year-old single mother who was repatriated from Jordan in 2008, along with her two-year old daughter who was born there. Jeanilyn returned to her hometown in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental where she has set up a sari-sari store (mini variety store) to have a steady source of income. The foundation provided her with the startup inventory for her sari-sari store.

Erlinda Endrinal, 59 years old, is another beneficiary of this program. She was repatriated from Saudi Arabia in 2009 and now lives in Lemery, Batangas. She received a piggery business start-up assistance package.

Women and family breadwinners are typically given priority in granting livelihood assistance.

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OFW Medical Assistance

Filed under: OFW Assistance — Joshua Sarmiento @ 3:50 pm


Neneng delos Santos at the Las Piñas General Hospital


Ruben DeLeon from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
of Taytay Rizal was given
a Hospital bed
Several repatriated OFWs suffer from physical abuse and maltreated abroad. Villar SIPAG’s ensure that they are in good health when they get back to the country.

OFW Repatriates are given medical attention as soon as they get back to the country.

One of them is Neneng delos Santos, a 41-year-old OFW from Riyadh, Suadi Arabia. She has five children. While working abroad she suffered from fallen bladder or cystocoele, due to carrying heavy luggages in her job. She was part of the batch that was sent home in 2009.

Villar SIPAG facilitated and sponsored the repair of her bladder.
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