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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider DOLE to assist OFWs affected by Middle East travel bans due to COVID-19

DOLE to assist OFWs affected by Middle East travel bans due to COVID-19

Published Mar 11, 2020 12:00 am
By Leslie Ann Aquino The Department of Labor and Employement (DOLE) said it will assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were unable to depart for the Middle East due to travel bans imposed by several countries amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo / MANILA BULLETIN) Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
(ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) "We will provide for their transportation expense, their meals, and a little financial assistance," Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in an interview Wednesday. On Tuesday, OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said OFWs affected by Middle East flight cancellations may approach their roving OWWA officer or the OWWA counter at NAIA for assistance, or call their OWWA Hotline 1348. For his part, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said the travel bans of Qatar and Kuwait are expected to affect some 19,000 overseas Filipino workers. "For Qatar, in January 2019 we processed 14,000-plus OECs (overseas employment certificates). February, 9,000 plus almost 10,000. March almost 9,000 plus also," he said in an interview at the DOLE office in Manila. "For 2020 January we processed 14,000-plus. February, 9,700, almost 10,000. For March none," Olalia added. "So if we base it on last year's data, we project that some 9,000 will be affected." As for Kuwait, Olalia said their average is somewhere at 10,000-plus, with the majority household service workers. Meanwhile, data provided by DOLE revealed that of the 103 overseas Filipinos infected by COVID-19 worldwide, 70 have already recovered as of March 11. Sixty-nine of those who recovered were in Japan while the other one was in Hong Kong.
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