By Leslie Ann Aquino Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may still avail of the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Abot Kaya and Pagtulong (AKAP) program. The Department of Labor and Employment on Thursday, May 28, said it will continue to "accept and process requests" for cash assistance from OFWs, both onsite and repatriated. "AKAP is a continuing program to help our OFWs during this crisis," Labor Undersecretary Claro Arellano said in a statement. The Labor department said with P1 billion additional funding, AKAP can now assist 250,000 OFWs. The DOLE earlier said overseas workers, both land based and sea based, who have been displaced by a lockdown in a foreign country will be given a one-time financial assistance amounting to P10,000 or USD200, or the equivalent amount in their host countries, under the AKAP program. According to DOLE, the program has so far benefited close to 145,000 OFWs while the number of requests for assistance reached 450,000. Meanwhile, the DOLE said the expenses of seafarers completing the 14-day mandatory quarantine period should be shouldered by manning agencies as well as the ship owners. "The Philippine manning agency or the ship owners they represent shall cover the board and lodging of their deployed seafarers during their quarantine period," read Department Order No. 211-A-2020. "The responsibility of providing for the board and lodging among Philippine manning agencies respectively shall apply whether during the implementation of community quarantine or under the new normal," it further read. The DOLE said the policy was anchored on provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention approved in 2006 regarding social protection, maritime occupational safety and health, medical repatriation, and other seafaring concerns. All returning OFWs are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine in a government-designated facility, and get tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to return home.