Many Filipinos are suffering because of the new pandemic that is spreading all over the world. At this point in time, being with our family makes us stronger and motivated to fight COVID-19, but how about our Overseas Filipino Workers? Whom will they seek strength to fight COVID, if they are far away from their loved ones? Some OFWs have been sent home because of the pandemic but some still remains to the country where they are working.
As of writing, the number of confirmed cases and death is still growing that is why fear is all over humanity now. It is indeed scary to fight something you cannot even see. Many weren’t able to provide for their needs because they lost their job due to COVID-19.
Good thing, the Department of Labor and Employment takes action. They are conducting programs that aim to help Filipino Citizens including OFWs who have been repatriated.
What is DOLE Coronavirus Assistance or DOLE AKAP for OFWs?
It is the program that was released by DOLE. This program aims to help the OFWs who have been deprived of their right to vote. A disenfranchised OFW whose job was affected by COVID will receive cash assistance from DOLE amounting to Php 10,000 or $200. They can either be land-based or sea-based.
What are the Eligible Countries for This Program?
- Taiwan
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Malaysia
- Macau
- Korea
- Brunei
- UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Oman
- Libya
- Lebanon
- Jordan
- Israel
- USA
- Canada
- Germany
- Italy
- UK
- Switzerland
- Spain
- Greece
- Cyprus
What are the Qualifications?
- Must have presence in oversea job sites or have been repatriated
- If they experienced job displacement due to COVID
- Must not receive any form of financial assistance from their emmployer and the country that they were in
What are the Requirements Needed?
- Passport
- Application Form for the Special Cash Assistance from Philippine Overseas Labor and Office (POLO)
- Proof of employment loss due to COVID-19
- Proof of being an OFW
- For OFWs who have no documents but not their fault, they must submit proof of being involved in an ongoing case such as Case Endorsement Stamps from POLO or Case Reference Number
What is the Application Process?
- Once you have all the documents needed, the OFW must submit it to POLO
- Once submitted, the POLO will evaluate the application. Please note that the evaluation usually takes 5 business days
- After the evaluation, they will notify the applicant regarding the status of the application whether it’s approved or denied
- If approved, POLO will give financial cash assistance to the applicant via bank transfer or money remittance
For more information, you may contact the Department of Labor and Employment using this hotline: 1349 or you may send them an inquiry using this link: Submit a query to DOLE
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