OWWA clarifies calamity assistance to Tisoy affected OFWs in Bicol

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Regional Welfare Office 5 clears up that the agency’s current calamity assistance only covers the “active” member Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

“We just started the relief operation calamity assistance during the latest Mayon eruption in 2018. That time it includes the inactive members, but now we will regulate. Inactive OFW members are no longer covered,” Henry Miraflor, OWWA-5 Supervising Administrative Officer said.

This clarification came after many inactive OFWs affected by Typhoon Tisoy here in Bicol insisted for calamity assistance worth P3,000.00 cash from OWWA Region 5.

OWWA-5 started the release of calamity assistance for Tisoy affected families of OFWs on Jan. 7, this year, in the three municipalities of Sorsogon Province, namely: Pilar, Donsol and Castilla.

“The membership in OWWA is not compulsory, that’s why we are coordinating with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to tell aspiring OFWs about the OWWA membership,” Miraflor stated.

Meanwhile, Miraflor said that all active OFW members in different Local Government Units (LGUs) in Sorsogon will be provided with the calamity assistance since it was one of the hardly- stricken provinces.

He also asserted that in other provinces, they will only choose those hardly affected areas or LGUs.

“We get the data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development since they are doing the groundwork. We are also coordinating with the Public Employment Service Office in different LGUs,” he said.

After the release of assistance in Sorsogon this January, OWWA-5 targeted to release the calamity assistance in Albay Province. There were a total of 31,000 active OFWs targeted as beneficiaries of the calamity assistance in the region.

Active OWWA members are those OFWs regularly paying their membership fee worth $25.00 dollars, which is valid for two years regardless of their contract.

This article is originally appeared on: https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1033245