Over 25,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have received one-time cash assistance of Php 30,000 (AED 2,100) for the college education of their children.
Authorities in the Philippines stated that more expats may be able to avail of the grant, as part of the initiative called Tabang OFW which launched last year. This was part of the relief programmes for Filipino expats whose livelihoods were affected by the COVID-19.
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Those eligible for the aid are OFWs who were repatriated, lost their jobs, or died amid the pandemic. For each expat, one of their children studying in college could be given Php 30,000.
Earlier, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered that an additional Php 3 billion (AED 217 million) be allocated to the scholarship programme.
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Philippine Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello III said an initial fund of Php1 billion (Dh72 million) was allotted to the project in 2020.
From the target beneficiaries of over 32,000, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has given cash assistance to nearly 25,000 college students. (AW)
