Over one million overseas Filipino workers displaced by the Covid-19 have been assisted by the government since the start of the pandemic two years ago, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration reported.
“From May 2020 to July 6, a total of 1,030,344 returning OFWs have been given assistance by OWWA,” OWWA Chief Hans Leo Cacdac said.
The OWWA’s Covid-19-related assistance include food, quarantine accommodation, and transportation.
During the height of the pandemic, OFWs who have returned to the country were assisted in quarantine hotels, where they have to stay until they are negative for Covid-19.
Aside from food, they are given medicines and provide basic commodities.
After being cleared from the virus, the distressed OFWs are transported back to their home provinces via air, sea and land.
The affected Filipinos are also provided with P10,000 assistance under the Abot-Kamay ang Pagtulong of the Department of Labor and Employment.
The financial assistance were made available for documented OFWs who possess valid passports and appropriate visas or permits to stay and work in the receiving country and those whose contract of employment has been processed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.
It was also made available for undocumented OFWs, but who were qualified to avail of the assistance as long as they were originally regular or documented workers but for some reason or cause have thereafter lost their regular or documented status; 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. – PNA
