OFWs to get cash assistance amidst COVID-19

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Overseas Filipino workers around the world including those in the UAE affected by the pandemic Coronavirus 2019 (COVID19) are going to get financial assistance from Manila’s Department of Labour and Employment (DoLE).

There are approximately 650,000 Filipinos across the seven emirates. Their employment and labour concerns are under the responsibility of either the Philippine Overseas Labour Office in Abu Dhabi (POLOAUH) or the POLO in Dubai (POLODXB), among the 34 POLOs around the world, 13 in the Middle East.

One of the bodies providing cash assistance is the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) “extending to its active and inactive members who were infected and confirmed positive for COVID-19 relative to the after-care needs and other medical requirements,” according to the POLOAUH advisory.

“Relatives and friends of the affected may call OWWA-Abu Dhabi at +971508142107 for guidance as to the requirements and procedure.”

Another financial aid is the one-time Php10,000.00 (Dhs720.18), a notification of which was passed on to Gulf Today on the evening of March 25 (Wednesday) when it had been circulated heavily on Facebook after an announcement from Labour and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the same day. Labour Attache for Dubai and the Northern Emirates Felicitas Bay messaged on Friday that POLOAUH and POLODXB already had uploaded their respective advisories on their respective websites on Thursday.

“We are now awaiting the release of the guidelines. We do not like to presume or assume the requirements.”

On Wednesday evening, Bay said POLODXB was already being inundated with calls and enquiries.

One caller mentioned the “No Work and No Pay” she and her colleagues are in since March 25.

POLODXB requests OFWs in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah to monitor www.polodubaiportal.org and its Facebook page Polodubai_Polodubai for the “DoLE guidelines, mechanics of implementation and/or related (alerts) on the cash assistance programme once officially issued.”