By Marjaleen Ramos
The government had already sent home some 4,000 overseas Filipino workers who were quarantined for 14 days and had tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) "Ang target namin 8,000 per day. Medyo kinapos kami. Unang-una kinapos kami ng bus... Alam mo naman social distancing," Bello said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo. The repatriated workers went home on board 21 bus trips and 18 chartered flights, he added. Authorities will double the buses and will start using ships on Tuesday to meet their daily target, Bello said. Bello earlier said the government aims to send home 8,000 OFWs daily from Monday to Wednesday, The labor secretary also assured that OFWs who lost their jobs have been given a P10,000 cash assistance. "Lahat ng mga nandoon na nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa COVID-19. Pero yung iba naman, end of contract, hindi po sila nabigyan. Pero kahit papano binibigyan pa din ng tulong, pero hindi yung P10,000," Bello said. President Duterte on Monday ordered government agencies to rush the release of COVID-19 test results of over 24,000 OFWs. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that some 300,000 OFWs are expected to return to the Philippines this year.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) "Ang target namin 8,000 per day. Medyo kinapos kami. Unang-una kinapos kami ng bus... Alam mo naman social distancing," Bello said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo. The repatriated workers went home on board 21 bus trips and 18 chartered flights, he added. Authorities will double the buses and will start using ships on Tuesday to meet their daily target, Bello said. Bello earlier said the government aims to send home 8,000 OFWs daily from Monday to Wednesday, The labor secretary also assured that OFWs who lost their jobs have been given a P10,000 cash assistance. "Lahat ng mga nandoon na nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa COVID-19. Pero yung iba naman, end of contract, hindi po sila nabigyan. Pero kahit papano binibigyan pa din ng tulong, pero hindi yung P10,000," Bello said. President Duterte on Monday ordered government agencies to rush the release of COVID-19 test results of over 24,000 OFWs. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that some 300,000 OFWs are expected to return to the Philippines this year.