Aid to OFWs affected by travel ban

February 3, 2020

The government is extending assistance to overseas Filipino workers affected by the temporary ban on the travel to China, Hong Kong, Macau and other declared affected areas, the labor department announced on Monday.

On instruction of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, acting Secretary Renato Ebarle directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide P10,000 cash assistance, accommodation and transportation to each stranded OFW caught up by the travel ban.

In a memorandum to OWWA, Ebarle said the move will help ease the burden on would-be departing workers, and assist them in their transport back to their places of origin.

Ebarle said those stranded will also be provided with accommodation at the OWWA halfway house while arrangements for their travel to the provinces are being made.

Hundreds of OFWs bound mostly for Hong Kong and Macau were stranded at the Manila airports on Monday following the travel ban imposed by President Duterte as precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the 2019 corona virus (nCov) that originated in Wuhan City, in Hubei province, China.

The move also followed the first reported death from the virus in the country, the first casualty outside Chinese territory. DMS