By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—A number of Overseas Filipino Workers and their dependents queued at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol on December 2, 2016 to receive the cash relief assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Pegged at ₱3,000 for OFW with active membership and ₱1,500 for non-active members, the government through the OWWA is offering a one-time relief assistance in cash to eligible OFWs and their families who were affected by supertyphoon “Lawin” last October.
Active OFW members refer to those who are still working abroad and non-active members refer to those who were former OFW members who are now back in their homeland.
In Ilocos Norte, acting OWWA regional director Sergio Borgueta said around ₱3 million pesos was approved for the three-day scheduled distribution since November 30, 2016 and which lasted until December 2, 2016.
Under the OWWA Cash Relief Assistance Program, the OFW member and their family dependents who reside in areas put under Signal No. 5 are entitled the financial grant.
Among these areas include the cities and municipalities in Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Northern Abra and Ilocos Norte.
The distribution of immediate cash relief assistance was in line with President Rodrigo E. Duterte’s directive to extend assistance to OFWs and their families who were hard hit by “Lawin”.
To avail the monetary assistance, claimants may apply through the OWWA Regional Welfare Offices and accomplish a claim form. They are also required to submit a certification that the claimant OFW/family member is a resident of the barangay and has suffered loss/damage to property and/or personal injury due to Super Typhoon Lawin from the authorized official of the Local Government Unit (LGU) (Office of the Mayor, Barangay Captain, City or Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or Local Social Welfare and Development Office; Identification Card or any document that will establish the identity of the claimant, and proof of relationship, if applicant is dependent of OFW-member.
According to Mr. Borgueta, over a thousand beneficiaries had already claimed their financial grant in Ilocos Norte.