Over 20,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW), whose employment were affected by the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) were given aid by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
Of the said OFWs, OWWA administrator Hans J. Cacdac said 8,000 have been provided accommodation by the government since they have to go through the mandatory 14-day quarantine as well as those who were unable to leave due to Covid-19 related travel restrictions abroad.
“Aside from this, we also have a food program for stranded seafarers and other OFWs around the metropolis, who were unable to leave for abroad,” Cacdac said in an online news briefing on Friday.
OWWA is anticipating another 20,000 OFWs to be repatriated in the coming days, which could exhaust the existing P200-million congressional fund it is spending for the purpose.
Recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani, however, said another 50,000 Filipino crew of cruise ships may soon come home due to the Covid-19 crisis.
He said they are onboard the 100 cruise ships at sea in the United States East and West Coast and many parts of Europe, which are unable to dock to unload their crew for chartered flights for Manila.
“Those dormant cruise ships around the world need to maintain a skeletal crew of around 100 people per ship. But that still leaves 50,000 to 60,000 crew members to return home,” Geslani said.
In anticipation of the surge in repatriated OFWs, Cacdac said they are now considering tapping their P500-million crisis funds once the need for arises.
Image credits: DFA Photo
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