MANILA, Philippines — Three Filipinos working far from home are now being helped by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) after scary riots broke out in their town in Northern Ireland.
The DMW, which is the government office that takes care of Filipinos working abroad, said that these three Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are safe for now — but their neighborhood is not.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac shared that the area where the Filipinos live has become dangerous. There were masked people causing trouble, and homes were getting attacked. So the DMW is now doing everything it can to protect the OFWs and make sure they don’t get hurt.
😱 Families Flee in the Night
A Filipino man named Michael Sancio shared what happened to him. He lives in Ballymena, a town in Northern Ireland. One night, he was woken up at midnight by loud banging on the windows. When he looked out, there were masked men outside!
Afraid for their lives, Michael, his wife and daughter, and another couple who lived with them, grabbed their passports and ran. They only took a few important things and left their home behind.
They slept at a friend’s house, and now they’re planning to move somewhere safer because they no longer feel safe in Ballymena.
🔥 Riots, Fires, and Hate Crimes
According to international news, riots have been going on for two nights in a row. In the town of 30,000 people, groups of masked rioters have:
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Attacked the police
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Set houses and cars on fire
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Caused fear among families, especially those who are immigrants
Police believe these were hate crimes — which means the attackers may have targeted people because of their race or nationality. That includes Filipino families, like Michael’s.
⚖️ Why Did the Riots Start?
The trouble began after two 14-year-old boys were arrested for allegedly doing something very serious — they were accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
In court, the boys said they did not do it, and they will stay in custody (like jail) until July 2 while the investigation continues.
But the court used a Romanian translator, which caused anger in some people. Even though there’s no proof the boys were immigrants, some rioters became violent, possibly believing the suspects were foreigners. That’s when the anti-immigrant violence started.
🇵🇭 DMW is on High Alert
Right now, the DMW is keeping in close contact with the OFWs in the area and working with local authorities to keep them safe. They promised to give any support the workers need — whether it’s shelter, transport, or protection.
This scary situation is a reminder of how hard it can be for Filipinos working abroad — and how important it is to stand up against hate and violence.
