Almost 6,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families affected by Typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut) have received cash aid from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
OWWA Administrator Hans J. Cacdac said the majority, or 3,362, of these beneficiaries of their Welfare Assistance Program were from Cagayan Valley region.
The program also benefited 1,333 from Itogon, Benguet, and 1,029 in Ilocos region.
“So far, P16 million has been released [by OWWA] for the cash assistance for OFWs,” Cacdac said in a Twitter post.
As of September 17, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that Typhoon Ompong affected 591,762 people.
Aside from floods, the typhoon also caused landslides in Itogon, which killed at least 78 people.
The incident prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to suspend small-scale mining in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Based on the initial estimates of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in CAR, around 12,000 workers will be affected with the new policy once it takes full effect.
DOLE Financial and Management Service Director Warren M. Miclat told the BusinessMirror in an ambush interview the department is now assessing if there are enough funds to provide aid for the said workers.
“We are not sure if we can accommodate all of the 12,000 workers. If we will still need more funds, we may request from the Office of the President especially since this is calamity-related,” Miclat said.
“But this will be subject to their approval and with the recommendation of the Department of Budget and Management,” he added.