Financial assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) depends on more than just completing a contract overseas.

This was the main point clarified in the May 18 episode of ‘CIA with BA’ when Gemma asked during the ‘Tanong ng Pilipino’ segment: “Sa OWWA assistance po ba, ‘pag finished contract, may makukuha po ba akong P20,000?”(With OWWA assistance, when the contract is finished, will I get P20,000?)"

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano explained that neither the law nor OWWA’s programs provides an automatic P20,000 payment to OFWs simply for finishing their contract.

“The mere fact na ikaw ay finished contract, wala po sa batas ‘yon o sa programa ng OWWA na automatic meron ka nang P20,000,” he said.

Sen. Alan emphasized that the employment contract is key in determining what benefits an OFW may receive. “Usually kapag nasa ibang bansa ka, kaya ang tawag natin contract workers, kasi ang gumagabay sa ‘yo bukod sa batas ng bansang ‘yon, ay ‘yung kontrata. So kung sa kontrata mo mismo ay may nakasabi do’n na may makukuha ka ‘pag finished contract, do’n mo makukuha ‘yon sa amo mo do’n. (Usually when you're in a foreign country, that's why we call you contract workers, because what guides you, apart from the laws of that country, is the contract. So if your contract itself says that you'll get something when the contract is finished, you'll get it from your employer there.)

He added that for distressed or displaced OFWs — those who lost their jobs unexpectedly — OWWA’s Balik-Pinas, Balik-Hanapbuhay program offers P20,000 to help them start a livelihood back home. This, however, does not apply to all finished contract cases.

Kuya Alan emphasized that being an overseas Filipino worker does not automatically solve all challenges — primarily upon returning to the Philippines.

“Siguro makikita natin [dito] na hindi porke nakapag-abroad na ay lahat ng problema, nasolusyonan na. Kaya marami po [na OFW] ay bumabalik sa Pilipinas at naghahanap pa rin ng magandang pagkakakitaan,” he said.

Along with the King of Talk, Boy Abunda, Kuya Alan continues the advocacy of his late father, Senator Rene Cayetano, on ‘CIA with BA.’ It airs every Sunday at 11:00 p.m. on GMA7, with a replay every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on GTV.