OWWA to provide assistance to stranded OFWs due to Hong Kong flight ban

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Thursday it will monitor airports for possible overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be stranded due to the two-week flight ban imposed by Hong Kong due to COVID-19.

At the Laging Handa briefing, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said they will most likely assist the Balik-Manggagawa or returning OFWs as recruitment agencies already help provide resources for their own stranded employees.

“Kung wala silang matutuluyan dito sa Maynila, kung taga probinsya sila, taga ibang regions, ay tutulungan natin sila magkaroon ng shelter, of course food and accommodation,” Cacdac said.

(If they are from the provinces or other regions and have nowhere to stay here in Manila, we will help them have shelter, food, and accommodation.)

“Assistance na rin, ‘yung transport from the airport to kung sa’n man nila gustong magpahatid,” he added.

(We will also assist them with their transportation from the airport to wherever they want to be transported at.)

Hong Kong announced the ban on incoming flights from eight countries, including the Philippines, from January 8 to 21, 2022, as authorities feared a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections.

Cacdac said that while deployment is still mainly dependent on the skill sets, reliability, and loyalty of the employee, the health of the workers is also now factored in due to the COVID-19 and the threat of the Omicron variant.

However, he believes that should this have further effects on the OFWs, it will only be temporary.

The OWWA also currently experiences an increase in COVID-19 cases among its personnel and its office underwent disinfection on Thursday, Cacdac said.

“Of course we are ready, sanay na tayo. For the last 22 months na nating ginagawa ito. Meron na tayong mga reliever, mga emergency-hired workers to take their place,” he said.

(Of course we are ready and we are used to it. For the last 22 months we have been doing this. We already have relievers and emergency-hired workers to take the place of those who tested positive for COVID-19.)

Cacdac then assured that OWWA would continue with its operations and he would personally check the airport for the situation of the stranded OFWs.

Deployment of OFWs

Further, Cacdac cited reports from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that the pandemic still has bigger effects on the deployment of land-based OFWs as compared to the sea-based which is already nearing the pre-pandemic levels.

“Talagang masama pa rin ang sitwasyon in terms of deployment ng land-based workers. Bumagsak pa rin ang deployment. However, sa sea-based, halos pumapantay sa pre-COVID levels ‘yung deployment,” he said.

(The situation is still really bad in terms of deployment of land-based workers. Their deployment is still falling apart. Deployment for the sea-based workers is however almost equal to pre-COVID levels.)

Aside from seafarers, there is also high demand for sectors such healthcare, logistics or transport of essential goods, manufacturing, engineering and architecture, and information technology.

“Kailangan siguraduhin lang po na dumaan sa lisensyadong recruitment agency na nakatala sa POEA at mismong foreign employer dapat accredited din under POEA records,” Cacdac added.

(Just ensure to go through the licensed recruitment agency registered in POEA and the foreign employer must also be accredited under POEA records.)

President Rodrigo Duterte last week signed Republic Act 11641, which mandates the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers.

The new department is tasked to formulate, plan, coordinate, promote, administer, and implement policies, and undertake systems for regulating, managing, and monitoring the overseas employment of Filipino workers and reintegration of OFWs and other overseas Filipinos, while taking into consideration the national development programs formulated by the National Economic and Development Authority. — RSJ, GMA News