By Roy Mabasa The Philippine Embassy in The Hague is now disseminating information to Filipinos working in the Netherlands, the Dutch Caribbean, and Aruba on how to avail of the one-time cash assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for OFWs affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Ambassador Jaime Victor Ledda said the embassy is now coordinating with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Berlin to assist them in providing the necessary information for those who are qualified to avail of the Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program. Overseas Filipino workers whose jobs were affected by the pandemic are entitled to a US$200 one-time assistance under the said program, or the peso equivalent if the OFW is already here in the country. Speaking at the regular “Laging Handa” briefing on Tuesday, Ledda said most of the Filipinos under his jurisdiction are seafarers and those working in households. Aside from the regular services, he said the embassy is coordinating with the Dutch government to help the affected Filipinos in renewing their expired visas following the outbreak of the pandemic. “We ask them for leniency and to provide little security and safety and less worry. We told them that the Philippine government is doing the same to stranded foreigners in our country,” Ledda added. The Philippine envoy said they have received “very few” reports of Filipinos who are confirmed COVID-19 cases but did not provide the exact figures. According to the latest bulletin of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment of the Netherlands, almost 34,000 persons have tested positive for the virus, with nearly 10,000 admitted to the hospitals and over 3,700 deaths.