(Eagle News)–More than 230,000 Overseas Filipino Workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are seeking cash assistance from the government, the Department of Labor and Employment said.
According to DOLE, as of April 24, the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices and the local offices of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration already received 233,015 requests for assistance under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program – AKAP emergency fund.
Under the program, each qualified OFW is given a one-time P10,000 or $200 cash aid.
According to DOLE, the number of requests exceeds the set target of 150,000 beneficiaries for the P1.5 billion AKAP aid fund.
DOLE said it was eyeing a request for a supplemental budget to help more OFWs.
Of the total number of requests, the agency said 118,134 were received by POLOs from workers onsite.
The remainder, it said, was submitted by repatriated OFWs to OWWA and DOLE regional offices in the country.
Among those seeking assistance, 49,040 OFWs are already set to receive the cash aid after having met the requirements.
Of those already getting the cash aid, DOLE said almost 34,000 are onsite OFWs or are still staying in host countries despite the lockdowns, while more than 15,000 have already been repatriated or are returning OFWs unable to depart to their country of destination.
DOLE said that OWWA and the POLOs have assisted 36,385 repatriated OFWs since the onset of the health crisis.
