Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) — A large number of displaced overseas Filipino workers applying for cash assistance under the Labor department’s program still haven’t received any aid, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said on Saturday.
“Meron pang mga around 200,000 na aplikante na kailangan pang ma-cover kaya inaasahan natin dito sa second round of registration ay maco-cover din sila,” said OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac in the regular Laging Handa virtual briefing.
[Translation: Around 20,000 applicants still have to be covered (by the assistance) so we’re expecting they’ll be covered in the second round of registration.]
The Department of Labor and Employment, through its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, provides qualified land- and sea-based overseas workers a one-time financial assistance of $200 or ₱10,000 each.
In the briefing, Cacdac also mentioned that some 25,000 Filipino cruise ship workers have returned to the country, with the industry heavily hit during the pandemic. Meanwhile, 18,000 land-based workers have come back home since the coronavirus crisis started, he added.
All in all, there are around 31,700 overseas Filipino workers to date that have finally been sent home, the official mentioned.
“Nag-ulat na po si Secretary (Silvestre) Bello sa taumbayan kay mahal na Pangulo na 25,002 ang napa-uwi from May 25 to May 31, so ganap po ang ating pagpapauwi nung panahon na yon. And since that time nung May 31, from June 1 naman po to June 5, mga 6,700 naman po ang nadagdag pang napauwi,” Cacdac explained.
[Translation: Secretary (Silvestre) Bello has already reported to the public through the President that 25,002 (OFWs) have been sent home from May 25 to May 31, so we have been thorough in sending them home during that time. And since May 31, 6,700 more OFWs have also been sent home from June 1 to 5.]
The government previously said around 60,000 workers would be coming back to the country in the next two months, while 300,000 more might return over the remainder of 2020.
Returning overseas Filipino workers must only stay for a maximum of five days in Metro Manila or wherever place they landed before finally going home, reiterated National Task Force on COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. during the briefing.
