Overseas Filipino workers based in Canada may be eligible to receive up to CAD1,000 (Php 36,800) as part of the Canadian government’s recovery assistance to the public.
Canada has expanded the coverage of their Employment Insurance program and implemented a package of recovery benefits for individuals who have been affected by the impact of the coronavirus disease, as per reports to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Vancouver.
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According to the report, those who are already receiving the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) are also eligible to avail one of the new recovery benefits:
The package of aid includes the Canada Recovery Benefit that gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by Covid-19 and who are not covered by the state emergency insurance. Under this program, beneficiaries may receive CAD1,000 (PHP36,800) for a two-week period.
Another assistance is called the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit that provides income support to those who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or has a family member who needs supervised care. If eligible, a household may receive CAD500 (PHP18,400).
A third aid measure is the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit. This assistance extends income support to those who are unable to work because they are sick or needed to self-isolate due to Covid-19. Also covered are those who have underlying condition which puts them at greater risk of getting Covid-19. If eligible, they can receive CAD500 for a one week-period.
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Bello thanked the federal government of Canada for the assistance package which also helps overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Canadian government’s continuous support to Temporary Filipino Workers is very much appreciated by the Philippines, most especially at this time of the pandemic,” Secretary Bello said in a press release issued on Sunday.
