Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III that all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), no matter their status, can automatically request for Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) one-time financial assistance aid.
In The Filipino Times’ live streaming on Facebook titled ‘Usapang OFW,’ Bello said that whether an OFW is documented, undocumented, or got terminated or placed on no-work-no-pay, she/he will be immediately prioritized for the financial assistance.
“Basta COVID-19 positive, whether documented, undocumented, whether nawalan ng work or naka-no-work-no-pay, immaterial na ‘yon. Automatic priority ka at entitled ka sa AKAP assistance,” he said.
The secretary added that he is always available at any time of the day to assist Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) if they receive no appropriate feedback about their financial aid.
“Kapag wala pa ding sufficient feedback, alam naman nila number ko dahil pinakalat naman ni Mocha Uson ‘yon. They can reach me directly at any time of the day. Karamihan pa nga alas dos ng madaling araw dumadating ang mga tawag. Okay lang ‘yon sa akin,” he said.
He added that his department and the government in general remains steadfast to serve the needs of Filipinos all over the world, and that they are doing everything they can to assist those in need.
“Nais kong malaman niyo na nandito kami para tulungan kayo. Kapag hindi namin kayo kayang tulungan, wala kaming karapatan manatili sa pwesto namin. President Duterte said no one should forget OFWs. ‘Yon ang clear na mandate ng pangulo,” he said.
