JUST as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) feared, funds for the one-time cash assistance given to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is now running empty.
The DOLE said in a statement that the number of approved applications for the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) for OFWs program is already at 254,846.
The AKAP program is a one-time cash assistance of $200 or P10,000 for onsite and repatriated OFWs affected by the pandemic.
“We have already exceeded the 250,000 OFW beneficiaries of the P2.5-billion emergency fund for COVID-19 affected migrant workers,” the agency said.
Of the approved applications, 214,619 OFWs have already received the emergency aid. The DOLE has disbursed P2.232 billion of the P2.5-billion program fund as of July 21.
Overall, though, 554,966 OFWs, filed their applications for the AKAP program.
Because of the overwhelming applications for financial assistance, the DOLE has requested an additional P2.5 billion in order to address the needs of more OFWs seeking assistance.
In a related development, DOLE said more than 100,000 returning OFWs have already arrived in their homes in the provinces.
Based on the latest DOLE report, a total of 106,200 OFWs repatriated by the government due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have already been transported to their respective homes.
“The latest batch of 2,246 home-bound OFWs, who tested negative for COVID 19, took their rides back to their respective provinces on Saturday,” said labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in a separate statement.
Back in May, over 34,000 OFWs were sent home by the government to their respective regions. Since then, a total of 72,000 have been brought home on an almost daily basis, said the labor chief.
Bello said the smooth transportation of returning OFWs can be attributed to the introduction of the online tracking system called OFW Assistance Information System (OASIS).
Aside from the actual transportation assistance, Bello said they have also been providing food, hygiene kits, and temporary accommodation to returning OFWs.
