The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has about P170 million to provide aid to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were affected by the travel ban from novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
During a briefing in Malacañang on Monday, OWWA Administrator Hans J. Cacdac said they have sufficient funds to provide assistance to the concerned OFWs.
Cacdac said they have only released P84.4 million or about a third of their P250-million budget for Benefits Availment Program (BAP) as of March 2.
The amount was used to provide the P10,000 cash aid for the active OWWA members, who were affected by the travel ban imposed by the government to China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan because of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the said areas.
He also said OWWA’s “financial health” is in good standing as of 2019.
“We had financial gain in 2019 – I will not report it here because we have yet to inform the OWWA Board about it. But the short answer is yes, we have sufficient funds to help OFWs in this crisis,” Cacdac said.
Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they do not expect the global spread of Covid-19 to stop anytime soon.
“It is still evolving. There is still not much hard evidence for this disease so we cannot say for certain if it will end in one month or two months,” Vergeire told BusinessMirror in an ambush interview.
As of March 1, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 87,137 confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide.
Here in the country, Vergeire said there are only 43 patients under investigation (PUI). A total of 592 previous PUI have already been discharged after testing negative from Covid-19.
She said there are currently no existing Covid-19 cases in the country other than three previously confirmed cases in the country.
Two of the said cases have already recovered and left for abroad, while the other one died.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila
5 comments
Mapgandang hapon po sir/madam need ko po ng tulong nyo isa po along ofw na apiktado mg covid19 April 5 po ang flight ko sir/man need ko po tulong financial
Mapgandang hapon po sir/madam need ko po ng tulong nyo isa po along ofw na apiktado mg covid19 April 5 po ang flight ko sir/man need ko po tulong financial.dito po ako sa ilocos sur tagudin borono east…thank u po
Hi mam/sir ofw po aq dubai mron po ba kmi matatanggap mula sa owwa dahil sa covid
may matatanggap ba kaming financial aid from owwa dahil sa covid ofw po from saudi my flight sana is april 10 2020. kung may assistance po pano po ma avail thanks
Good morning po maam/sir isa po akong seaman.na nadelayed yung alis ko dahil sa covid 19.meron po ba akung matanggap na financial galing owwaa.ksi po wlang wla na po ako..familiado rin po.