Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople assured aid to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been affected by the weeklong suspension of non-essential business activities in Macau. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo/File Photo
MANILA, Philippines – Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople on Tuesday assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the weeklong suspension of non-essential business activities in Macau that they would receive aid.
Ople in a statement said the DMW would provide food packs and medicines throughout the disruption of the operations from July 11-18.
“We are closely monitoring the situation because of the ‘No Pay Leave’ policy that the Macau government has declared for the entire week. Our consul general will be using diplomatic channels to bring our concern over this labor policy to the relevant authorities in Macau,” Ople said.
“Based on the assessment of Labor Attaché Atty. Ma. Nena German, the probability of mass retrenchment of workers during the weeklong suspension of non-essential business activities will not take place. This is purely a health-related and temporary measure meant to disrupt the spread of the coronavirus,” she added.
The move came after Ople and Foreign Affairs Acting Migrant Workers’ Undersecretary Eddie de Vega met via teleconference with Philippine Consulate officials, led by Consul-General Porfirio Mayo Jr., and leaders of Filipino communities in Macau to plan out assistance to affected OFWs.
Meanwhile, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), through DMW, mentioned assistance efforts saying that “active OWWA members who are Covid-19 symptomatic and requiring hospitalization or facility isolation may avail of the agency’s Covid After Care Financial Assistance benefit amounting to US$200.”
“All other OFWs, however, may avail of the food packs provided by the consulate for the duration of the suspension period. These requests for assistance are evaluated in accordance with the OWWAs guidelines,” OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said.
The DMW said Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng on Saturday issued Chief Executive No. 115, which ordered both commercial and industrial businesses and non-essential businesses like casinos to halt their operations due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Aas many as 5,295 OFWs in the hotel and gaming industries will be affected by the order, the DMW said.
Further, Ople urged OFWs in Macau to cooperate with its government in Macau and continue their compliance with the minimum health standards.
According to the DMW, there are already 57 Filipinos to date who have tested positive in red zones (buildings in lockdown), yellow zones (control zones), and hotel quarantines, while 26 OFWs in hotel quarantine facilities have tested positive or are close contacts. – Nicole Faye Agcaoili, INQUIRER.net intern