ZAMBOANGA CITY – Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were displaced due to receiving country’s imposition of lockdown or community quarantine have received financial assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment thru the Overseas Workers Welfare Administrations (OWWA) AKAP for OFWs Program.

In a report from OWWA 9 thru OIC Regional Director, Priscilla Pamella Flores, that in Zamboanga Peninsula, 1,599 OFWs received the one-time financial assistance of PHP 10,000.00 from the period of May to June 2020 amounting to a total of PHP 15,990,000.00.

DOLE 9 Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe also shared that the payout to OFW-beneficiaries is being done through money remittance which is convenient as it no longer requires beneficiaries to come to the office and queue.

He further added that qualified land-based and sea-based OFWs coming from 29 countries in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Americas, Middle East and Africa listed in the Department Order 212 Series of 2020 may avail of the assistance as long as they have not received any assistance from the receiving country. END/KCG