337 Seafarers of Costa Cruises were met by officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, the local manning agency of Costa Cruises after they were repatriated to the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (photo from the DFA FB page)
Over 230,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are asking for financial aid from the government as they were adversely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health crisis.
The Department of Labor (DOLE) said the number of distressed OFWs is way over its original target of 150,000 land- and sea-based Filipino workers uprooted by the pandemic.
A supplemental budget is now being considered as the DOLE’s original P1.5 billion Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) aid fund will not suffice to reach more beneficiaries who are now either displaced or on a no-work, no-pay status as a result of lockdowns and slowdown of businesses in their respective host countries.
The number of displaced local workers is estimated at over 2 million while displaced OFWs is now close to 100,000.
As of April 24, the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) local offices have received 233,015 applications for the AKAP emergency financial aid that grants a one-time Php10,000 or US$200 cash aid to qualified OFWs.
DOLE has distributed to 345,865 formal sector local workers a one-time cash assistance of P5,000 that totalled to over P1.7 billion.
P1.14 billion was disbursed to 259,449 workers from the informal sector under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko (TUPAD #BKBK) program.
The DOLE was overwhelmed with a sudden increase of applications for assistance under the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Programs (CAMP) which forced them to stop the processing of requests since April 15.
With the community quarantine again extended, the number of displaced workers is expected to balloon further, which was already at 2,073,362 nationwide as of April 24.
Temporary closures of business establishments displaced close to 1.4 million workers while over 687,000 suffered reduced incomes as a result of modified work arrangements like forced leave, work rotation, reduced workdays and telecommuting. (Jojo Mangahis)