OWWA ready to assist Filipino nurses affected by New York City hospital strike

The Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) expressed readiness Wednesday to extend assistance to Filipino nurses affected by the massive hospital strike in New York City, should any of them end up displaced or in need of support from the Philippine government.

Asked about the forms of assistance that the agency can provide affected Filipino nurses, OWWA Deputy Administrator Rossane Bahia-Catapang said it can give legal and even financial aid to qualified beneficiaries.

"Karaniwan po, mga dumaan po 'yan sa proseso dito sa Pilipinas bago po sila na-deploy sa America o sa ibang bansa man po para sa kung anuman pong trabaho. Definitely po, mayroon po kami mga programa at serbisyo para sa kanila. Kung kailangan po nila ng tulong ng legal, nandiyan din po kami at ang DMW (Department of Migrant Workers), as well as financial assistance po para po sa pantawid habang sila po ay nagkakaroon ng problema sa kanilang trabaho," Bahia-Catapang said in an online press conference.

(They usually go through a process here in the Philippines before they are deployed to America or another country in relation to their employment. Definitely, we have programs and services for them. If they need legal assistance, OWWA and the DMW are here. Financial assistance can also be extended to help at a time when they are having problems with their jobs.)

The OWWA's assurance comes after days of strike by thousands of nurses in New York City, including more than 1,000 Filipinos.

Bahia-Catapang said that with regard to repatriation, it was the responsibility of the nurses' recruitment or manning agency to send them home.

However, she said the OWWA is prepared to assist in emergency repatriation, should the need arise.

The agency will continue to extend assistance, she said, until their possible reintegration back home in the Philippines.

"Ang aming assistance ay hindi po nagtatapos sa pagpapauwi lamang po sa kanila dito. Pagkatapos po ng pagpapauwi, mayroon po kami mga assistance din. Kasama din po diyan yung kanilang upskilling or kung gusto po nilang mag-engage into a business, meron po mga financial assistance. Madami po, whole range of assistance na binibigay ng OWWA para sa mga miyembro po namin sa mga displaced or sa mga OFWs po na hindi po pinalad or nagkakaroon po ng problema ngayon sa kanilang mga trabaho," she added.

(Our assistance does not end with just sending them home here. After they arrive, we also have assistance that includes their upskilling or if they want to engage in a business, we also have financial assistance. We have a lot, a whole range of assistance provided by OWWA for our members who are displaced or unfortunate OFWs who had problems with their jobs.)

The massive strike of nurses from major hospitals in New York City were mounted following a deadlock in negotiations over demands for higher compensation and improved healthcare benefits.

Nurses had also lamented that the city's hospitals remain understaffed, raising serious concerns about the safety of both healthcare workers and patients. — VDV, GMA Integrated News