DOLE compels recruitment, manning agencies to foot returning OFWs’ board and lodging bill

By Samuel P. Medenilla, Businessmirror, 29 May 2020

Recruitment and manning agencies are now compelled to shoulder the board and lodging expenses of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who lost their jobs en masse amid the raging novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

On Wednesday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) came out with a new issuance amending its Department Order (DO) 211, Series of 2020.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III issued DO 211-A (Series of 2020), which states that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will cease to pay for the temporary shelters of returning OFWs.

“The responsibility of providing for the board and lodging in III.3.b and c. among Philippine recruitment and manning agencies respectively shall apply whether during the implementation of community quarantine or under the new normal,” Bello said.

OWWA Administrator Hans J. Cacdac earlier said they already spent around P400 million to provide the temporary shelters to OFWs, who were quarantined or awaiting the result of their test result in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Batangas.

As of May 19, 2020, OWWA was able to provide temporary shelter to 12,588 OFWs.

Home-bound

Currently, the government is engaged in sending home 24,000 OFWs, who already tested negative for Covid-19.

Citing the latest data from the OWWA, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government was ready to send home 16,000 OFWs, who stayed in NCR and Batangas.

He said more of the said OFWs are expected to be sent home on Thursday since three flights and two ships were schedule to transport more of the OFWs back to their hometowns.

President Duterte gave OWWA and other concerned agencies until the end of the week to bring home all of the 24,000 OFWs.

Increasing beneficiaries

IN a related development, DOLE also reported the number of applicants for its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program of DOLE has now reached 450,000.

DOLE resumed accepting AKAP applications earlier this month after getting an additional P1-billion budget for the one-time P10,000 cash aid program for OFWs, who were affected by Covid-19.

The program now has a total of P2.5 billion, which is sufficient to benefit only 250,000 OFWs. Bello earlier said they are appealing for additional funding for AKAP to accommodate all of its applicants.

Currently, DOLE said only 145,000 qualified beneficiaries have benefited from the program.