Agusan Sur sets P1M for ‘fly now, pay later’ program

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—Job seekers in Agusan del Sur province no longer had to pawn their property to raise cash for placement fees and other processing expenses for their work papers abroad.

The provincial government has earmarked P1 million for its “fly now, pay later” program, a soft loan with a 5-percent interest rate targeting job seekers applying for overseas jobs.

According to Board Member Santiago Cane Jr., author of the ordinance, job seekers may apply for a P20,000 to P100,000 loan that is payable within 14 months after they are hired.

Cane, however, said the loan would be extended only to those applying for jobs with a minimum monthly pay of P50,000. —CHRIS PANGANIBAN