OWWA sent home 31,700 repatriated OFWs as of June 5 –Cacdac

A total of 31,700 overseas Filipino workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have been assisted by the Overseas Workers Administration and sent to their home provinces as of June 5, 2020.

At the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday, OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cadac reported that from May 25 to 31, a total of 25,002 were sent home, and from June 1 to 5, another 6,700, bringing the total to 31,700 served repatriated OFWs.

Cacdac also said that most of those affected OFWs and have been repatriated were sailors from cruise ships, some 25,000 of them.

Meanwhile, affected land-based OFWs were at 18,000.

Cacdac assured the displaced OFWs, especially the sailors, that they will be rehired when the pandemic is over.

Moreover he said that some 72,000 repatriated OFWs have received P10,000 each from the Department of Labor's Akap OFW program, and the remaining 200,00 can avail of the second round of the emergency cash aid.

Cacdac also announced that starting next week, they will be accepting applications for the P2 billion allocation for the second round of socio-economic stimulus to OWWA members. —LBG, GMA News