(Eagle News) – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that land-based and sea-based overseas Filipino workers whose employments were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic would be given a one-time financial assistance of P10,000.
This is under the department’s AKAP assistance program for OFWs, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.
He said that the department has already prepared the guidelines for this program for OFWs “to ensure its effective and streamlined implementation.”
Bello said the funds for the DOLE-AKAP including other administrative expenses of Central and Regional operations to be incurred in the implementation of this program shall be sourced from DOLE COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (DOLE-CAMP) in the amount of P1.5 Billion
The program for the one-time P10,000 cash assistance will cover all OFWs from COVID-19 affected countries, including those who have already been repatriated.
They will cover regular documented workers and qualified undocumented OFWs or those who were originally regular or documented workers, but for some reason or cause have thereafter lost their regular or documented status, Bello said.
The financial assistance would also be given to OFWs who could not return to the countries where they are working because of the imposed lockdown.
The program will also cover OFWs who have contracted COVID-19.
OFWs coming from listed priority countries and territories will also be given financial assistance.
“The Department shall provide financial assistance to qualified OFWs from countries with Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) presence and/or are heavily affected by COVID-19,” Bello said.
These priority countries are Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
For the Asia and the Pacific, OFWs in following COVID19-hit countries will be prioritized: Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
For Europe and the Americas: Canada, Cyprus, Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain, United States of America.
-OFWs enjoined to apply for cash assistance-
To apply for the cash assistance program, on-site OFWs must visit the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in their host country, the DOLE said.
Bello, however clarified who among the OFWs who have experienced job displacement due to the receiving country’s imposition of lockdown or community quarantine or having been infected by the disease, would receive the DOLE’s assistance.
“They must be still at overseas jobsites, or in the Philippines as Balik-Manggagawa, or already repatriated to the Philippines; and must not receive any financial support/assistance from the receiving countries/employers,” Bello said.
Repatriated OFWS and Balik Manggagawa must apply at OWWA Regional Welfare Offices (RWOs), the labor department said.
DOLE-AKAP will cover regular/documented OFWs as defined in the 2016 Revised Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Rules and Regulations, a DOLE statement said.
Bello described regular or documented OFWs as those who possess a valid passport and appropriate visa or permit to stay and work in the receiving country, and whose contract of employment has been processed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
“Also included in the program are those who are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed by POEA or the POLO, but have undertaken actions to regularize their contracts or status; or who are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed by POEA or the POLO, but are active OWWA members at the time of availment,” Bello said.
The labor department said that its offices, as well as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the various POLOs, will be posting the detailed requirements of the OFW cash assistance program.
(Eagle News Service)
