By Franco G. Regala San Fernando City, Pampanga – At least four districts here with unique geographical characteristics will be the beneficiaries of the newly-signed agreement among the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), provincial government, and the city and municipal governments of Pampanga. Gov. Lilia G. Pineda and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III led the signing of the agreement to set up the OWWA-Pampanga Welfare Assistance Program Processing Centers in the four districts for a more effective delivery of services to migrant workers and their families. The centers will be established in Mabalacat City; Sta. Rita, Lubao, Macabebe, and San Luis towns; and in the provincial capitol compound. Pineda said the centers will determine the eligibility of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families who are seeking medical and bereavement assistance under the Welfare Assistance Program. They will also be providing information as well as accepting applications for the other programs and services of OWWA, she said. The provincial government will assign special wards in the Jose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Hospital (JBLRMH) and all hospitals in the capitol to attend to the OFWs and their families. “They will be prioritized in our public hospitals in return for their valuable service for our province and country,” Pineda said. All local government units were also directed to provide the manpower requirements of the centers. Bello said the assistance centers will bring accessibility for the OFWs and will fast-track the processing of their benefits. He added that they are already laying out a command center for OFW concerns in Quezon City, which is operational 24/7. “They can call the DOLE hotline 1349. We are hoping that eventually as soon as we get the budget, we will be assigning centers to the region or better, up to the municipal level,” he said.