The Department of Labor and Employment said that the government has assisted some 350,000 overseas Filipino workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Roughly P3.5 billion was disbursed in cash assistance to close to 350,000 OFWs displaced by the pandemic under the AKAP or the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong program funded under Bayanihan 1,” Bello said in a year-end press conference.
Bello said that that Php16.4 billion cash assistance was also allocated to DOLE to assist OFWs under the Bayanihan To Recover as One Act.
Scholarship grants were also given to the children of affected OFWs.
Livelihood assistance was also given to those OFWs who decided to stay in the Philippines for good.
Meanwhile, 4,234 seafarers have finished the Maritime Training Program, while 53,515 graduates of professional courses were administered with licensure examinations. (TDT)
