More displaced OFWs expected as global crisis hang—OWWA
The numbers of displaced Ilonggo Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have reached its highest thus far while more are believed to be unreported.
With regionwide rounds made, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Director James Mendiola said requests for OWWA assistance has since been on the rise.
To date, Western Visayas has a total of 116 workers mostly in the construction industry abroad all forced back to the Philippines. With work contracts terminated, employers of the displaced Ilonggo OFWs folded up operations due to the hanging global crisis.
Mendiola in an interview told The News Today (TNT) that 85 of the laid-off Ilonggos were male workers. Countries of origin are United Arab Emirates where 41 terminated Ilonggo OFWs came from, second highest is Taiwan with 22 and 13 from Qatar. The rest came elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.
TNT in a check learned that majority of the affected – 64 altogether came from Iloilo followed by Negros with 36.
The possibility remains, Mendiola said, that the number can readily increase as other returning OFWs fail to notify OWWA.
“So this continued appeal for them to inform us so we can help,” Mendiola said.
Among the assistance to the group is a P50,000 livelihood “soft” loan payable in a two-year period. The OWWA aid though is only for legally-deployed OFWs.
Yesterday saw the second batch of OWWA seminar in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The seminar is a requirement for the livelihood loan aimed at guiding the beneficiary OFW and their families in handling the said assistance. 27 of the displaced workers were present while the first batch of 17 are set to receive the OWWA checks early next month.
TNT learned that OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon will personally distribute the first set of loan releases.
To note, the Ilonggo displaced workers are all skilled workers with “specialized” training in carpentry works as Gypsum Board installers.
Terminated and laid-off, Mendiola disclosed that redeployment and not local employment still remains as main option for the said OFWs.
As such came this advice from Mendiola, “it is important to upgrade skills and ability prior to any further plans of redeployment. There is a shift now in re-training from carpentry to machine operation. Either way, upgrading of skills will help a lot.”
Western Visayas region has an estimated 95,000 OFWs legally-deployed to date.