DOLE: Close to 280K OFWs affected by pandemic got cash aid from gov’t

(file photo) Only returning Negrenses like these repatriated OFWs who arrived at the Bacolod Silay Airport on a C-130 Philippine Air Force plane Saturday night are allowed into Negros Occidental and Bacolod City. —RICHARD MALIHAN

MANILA, Philippines — Close to 280,000 overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, were able to receive cash assistance from the government, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Sunday.

In a statement, DOLE said it disbursed P2.853 billion funds under its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP), the Labor Department’s assistance for displaced “Land-based and Sea-based Filipino workers” during the pandemic.

“As of October 2, DOLE had disbursed some P2.853 billion in Akap funds to both on-site and repatriated OFW beneficiaries. Akap has approved 312,974 of the 637,873 applications for assistance that were received by POLOs (Philippine Overseas Labor Offices) and OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) field offices,” read the statement.

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As of Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said 10,549 Filipinos abroad are infected with the coronavirus disease with 793 deaths and 6,750 recoveries.

READ: What’s the DOLE plan for OFWs?

/MUF