#owwa

Home Credit Philippines, the country’s leading consumer finance company, in partnership with Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA), honored the heroes of the modern age, the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), during the OFW Family Day Caravan in Western Visayas. The two-week-long caravan was attended by over 2,000 OFWs and OFW associations combined from the provinces of Antique, Capiz,…

Over 109-million-peso worth of financial assistance for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are still pending at remittance centers according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The said fund is part of more than P300 million worth of cash assistance remain unclaimed by beneficiaries of various assistance programs of DOLE for workers affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong for OFWs (AKAP) is DOLE’s program that aims to provide a one-time assistance for OFWs worth P10,000.

DOLE spokesman Rolly Francia explained that the payment is still pending because the intended beneficiaries have either change their contact numbers or lost their phones.

“The reference code for claiming the benefits in remittance centers are sent through mobile number. The problem is many beneficiaries changed or lost their phones, he pointed out during a media briefing.

Meanwhile, he urged applicants to coordinate with their DOLE regional offices to claim their financial benefits as soon as possible to avoid forfeiture or expiration.

“It if it remains unclaimed, it will be reverted to the [Bureau of the] Treasury. I don’t know the deadline for this, but they should [file their] claim [at] the soonest possible time,” the labor official said.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Friday for additional funding to be able to shoulder the expenses of returning overseas Filipino workers for quarantine facilities, food and COVID-19 test.

During a palace briefing, OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac the request for additional funding is due to the revised government protocol which requires OFWs to take RT-PCR test on the sixth day of quarantine rather upon their arrival in the country.

“Assuming na magpatuloy itong protocol na seven to nine days mula 1 to 3 days na inilagi sa [quarantine] hotel, P9.8 billion po ang kakailanganin natin. Kasi po ang assumption natin diyan ay at least 2,000 ang lalapag sa international airport araw-araw,” Cacdac pointed out

“Mga 60,000 [OFWs] po iyan sa isang buwan at sa walong buwan ay aabot ng 480,000, So kailangan po talaga ng supplemental funding natin P9.8 billion po ang kahilingan natin,” he continued.

Earlier, Cacdac projected that the 6.8 Billion allocated for returning OFWs' food, transport, and accommodation costs might run out as early as April.

The OWWA administrator added that returning OFWs who received CIVID019 jabs already will still need to take the quarantine along with RT-PCR test.

“Kaya tayo ay nagsusumamo, nagmamakaawa tayo sa DBM at sa liderato ng Kongreso, sumulat po si Secretary [Silvestre] Bello sa kanila para mabigyan po tayo ng supplemental funding,” he stressed.

Some senators slammed the new policy of the Philippine government to limit in bound arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to 1,500 passengers.

The Philippines has also suspended the entry of foreigners and returning overseas Filipinos from March 20 until April 19 who are not OFWs amid a spike in Covid-19 cases.

At a Senate hearing on Thursday, Senators grilled the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on the passenger cap, as it is unenforceable and would make it hard for overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to return home.

Under the new order of the Philippines’ Civil Aeronautics Board, international inbound arrivals at Manila’s will be limited to a maximum of 1,500 passengers per day.

“OWWA, did you recommend this particular advisory to cap at 1,500? Because if you’re recommending that we don’t allow our countrymen to go home, it doesn’t seem right.” Senator Joel Villanueva Senate asked.

“It’s like we are admitting that our quarantine testing, and contact tracing programs aren’t working. Is that an admission?” Villanueva who also serve as Senate labor committee chairperson added.

In response, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said that they deferred the National Task Force Against COVID-19 on the policy.

“We cannot argue with the experts on health. We go by the science, Mr Chair, and we abide by the memorandum coming from Secretary Lorenzana,” Cacdac stressed adding that the 1,500-passsnger cap is based on historical data.

Villanueva along with Minority leader Francis Drilon believe that the new policy is ineffective and confusing as some OFWs can opt to return in the Philippines through other airports.

“Three hundred sixty-five after Covid came to us, our policies are still confusing, the validity and the basis for the 1,500-cap are not clear. That is why people tend not to follow directives because hindi po naintindihan,”Drilon said.

“Bakit 1,500, how is that figure arrived at? If this is a system of making sure that we control the entry of those who may have Covid, they [can] just choose the other airport, you have Cebu, Clark. So it’s also ineffective,” he added.

Drilon alleged that OWWA supports the policy as it would help them avoid additional costs.

Cacdac responded by invoking the NTF memorandum.

In a memorandum released on Tuesday, NTF imposed an entry ban on foreigners and non-OFWs which will take effect beginning March 20.

Sharing views with fellow solons, Senator Francis Tolentino called the inbound travel cap as unenforceable.

“I foresee the unenforceability. Who will determine which airline should have a cap of 1,500 Filipinos? Which stopover should force the disembarkation of Filipinos? And which port of origin should prevent a valid ticket holder of a trip going to Manila?” he said adding that NTF should review its policy.

“How would you pluck out Filipino passport holders bound for Manila with tickets, rebook, force them [to disembark]? I really can’t imagine a situation where we would be forcing planes to return to their port of departure just because there are Filipinos and we have reached the 1,500 cap,” he added.

Villanueva later said that passenger cap policy is not feasible: “Every Filipino who had lost his job, on his last money, and had last seen his family years ago, is a kababayan in distress. Huwag po natin antaying magkalkal sila ng mga basura para makakain o mamalimos sa tabi-tabi,” said.

“They need to be brought back home because our overseas offices–undermanned and underfunded–are being overwhelmed by this growing number of stranded workers,” he continued.

“Huwag na po natin paramihin ang OFWs – Overseas Filipinos Waiting for a flight home. Kung ano man ang naipundar o naitabi nilang pera, unti-unti itong maglalaho sa bawat minutong hindi sila makauwi ng Pilipinas.”

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