OWWA assists OFWs in Sendong-hit areas

Overseas Filipino workers in areas hit hard by tropical storm "Sendong" in December last year will receive specialized stress debriefing from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).   The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ordered the OWWA to hold a medical mission in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities where stress debriefing experts will attend to OFW families affected by "Sendong."   "When I visited Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City before the New Year, this was the request of many OFW families as relayed to me by the OWWA regional office in Region 10," Baldoz said in a news release.   OWWA Region 10 Director Petronia Bergado and DOLE Region 10 Director Allan Macaraya had reported there are 79 OFW households in the two cities whose homes were destroyed by the floods.   They also said 887 OFW households had their homes damaged.   At least 12 OFW families suffered a death in the household, while five relatives of OFW families are still missing.   Baldoz also tasked OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon to offer livelihood assistance via Kabuhayan Starter kits to OFW family victims in the region.   The Kabuhayan Starter Kits include a package of services, such as skills training, and tools for such occupations as carpentry, plumbing, and cooking. They offer capital assistance to let beneficiaries quickly start a livelihood undertaking to regain lost income. - VVP, GMA News