MORE than 600,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic are appealing for cash assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said 604,403 onsite and repatriated OFWs had applied for the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) for OFWs Program.
Of those seeking assistance, Bello said 349,977 are onsite workers or displaced and stranded overseas.
On the other hand, a total of 254,426 OFWs are repatriated land-based and sea-based OFWs.
To note, the AKAP program is a one-time $200 or P10,000 assistance provided by the DOLE to migrant workers affected by the pandemic.
Its initial funding of P2.5 billion was meant to benefit only a total of 250,000 OFWs.
As of August 15, the labor chief said they have already disbursed a total amount of P2.436 billion for the benefit of 237,778 OFW-beneficiaries.
President Duterte last week ordered the release of P5 billion in additional funds for the repatriation and assistance to OFWs.
“The increasing volume of requests for assistance by OFWs is being met by the timely release of additional funds,” said Bello. — Gerard Naval
