After getting fresh funding to help displaced and stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said documented and undocumented Filipino workers abroad or in the country would benefit from the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2.

In Department Order No. 220 signed by Secretary Silvestre Bello III released on Tuesday, covered by the program are displaced land-based and sea-based OFWs affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Beneficiaries are regular/documented OFWs, as defined in the 2016 Revised POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) Rules and Regulations, refer to those who possess a valid passport and appropriate visa or permit to stay and work in the receiving country and whose contract of employment has been processed by the POEA and the POLO (Philippines Overseas Labor Office).

It also covers undocumented OFWs, or those who were originally regular or documented workers but for some reason or cause have thereafter lost their regular or documented status; or who are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed POEA or the POLO, but have undertaken actions to regularize their contracts or status; or who are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed but POEA or the Polo, but are active OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) at the time of the availment; or who have not undertaken steps to regularize their status and are not active OWWA members at the time of application.

Qualified applicants will receive a one-time financial assistance of USD200 or PHP10,000 or its equivalent to the local currency of the host country.

To be eligible for the program, the DOLE said the OFW must have experienced job displacement onsite or repatriated to the Philippines due to Covid-19 or Balik-Manggagawa/Re-engaged seafarers whose droplet has been suspended due to Covid-19; and must not receive financial assistance from DOLE AKAP under Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or any financial support from the host country or employer.

On the other hand, it released the names of priority countries for onsite OFWs. These are: Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Cyprus, Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States.

“The DOLE shall provide financial assistance to displaced OFWs who are in the countries/territories with POLO presence on except for countries where POLOs have concurrent jurisdiction,” it said.

For onsite OFWs, upon approval of the application, POLOs will release the financial assistance through bank transfer, money remittance, physical distribution, or any cost-effective mode of payment that can be utilized.

For approved applications of OFWs who have been repatriated before November 30, including stranded Balik Manggagawa and re-engaged seafarers whose deployment were suspended due to Covid-19, the DOLE Regional Office shall release the PHP10,000 cash aid through money remittance/ Peso Net within three to five working days.

Once the applications of Filipinos for repatriation starting November 30 have been approved, it will be the OWWA-National Capital Region (NCR), which will release the PHP10,000 aid through money remittance/ Peso Net within three to five working days.

The budget for the program is at PHP2 billion, with some 200,000 target beneficiaries. (PNA)