The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has announced that it will be disbursing a one-time cash aid worth Php 30,000 to a total of 2,000 dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who were displaced due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The recipients of the cash aid were screened by the agency and will receive a one-time Php30,000 cash grant for the college tuition under the Tabang OFW program.
Qualified Dependents of Displaced OFWs to Receive One-Time Cash Aid Worth Php 30,000 from OWWA
In a statement by OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, qualified OFW beneficiaries will be given a one-time cash grant specifically intended to support the schooling of OFW dependents who are in college, the PNA reported.
According to Cacdac, the ‘Tabang OFW’ is a financial aid program that is essentially aimed for collegiate level dependents of returning OFWs affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“We rolled out last week, we began last week, and so far we, have around 2,000 approvals already of scholars,” Cacdac shared.
He added that the agency has already completed the screening process to determine those who are eligible for the program and that payouts will be disbursed in the coming days.
Payments, according to Cacdac, will commence over the weekend and in the coming week. The financial aid also comes at a time when many parts of the Philippines have been badly hit by typhoons.
The project is a joint effort of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), OWWA, and Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Meanwhile, the agency has also started to roll out its ‘Tulong Puso’ program where they will provide PHP150,000 to PHP1 million grants to OFW groups.
Apart from the livelihood and educational cash grant programs, OWWA also provides an entrepreneurship training program for OFWs.
The initiative is a collaboration among the Labor department, through the OWWA and National Reintegration Center for OFWs; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; Philippine Trade Training Center, and Coca-Cola Philippines.