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Almost 90k OFWs displaced due to COVID-19 pandemic; 230k seek gov't aid
The COVID-19 pandemic has displaced nearly 90,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), with over 233,000 seeking government assistance.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) noted that 89,436 OFWs are either displaced or on a no-work, no-pay status due to global lockdowns and business slowdowns.
More than 233,000 requests for assistance under the P1.5 billion AKAP emergency fund have been received by Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) as of April 24.
Qualified OFWs will receive a one-time P10,000 cash aid.
The DOLE reported that 49,040 land-based and sea-based OFWs have met the requirements and are set to receive the cash aid.
Of those approved, 34,000 are OFWs still in host countries, while over 15,000 are repatriated or returning OFWs.
OWWA has also been providing essential services such as food, shelter, and transportation for returning OFWs, having assisted around 15,000 stranded individuals.
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The Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in Bahrain and Kuwait have resumed accepting online applications for the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program starting noon on Friday, April 24, 2020.
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