OWWA 6 repatriates 13 distressed OFWs
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 6 has assisted the repatriation of 13 distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) coming from Western Visayas from January to October this.
Regional Welfare Office 6 Director Samuel Madrid said five of the 13 were repatriated due to illness; one met an accident; and seven were already human remains.
Madrid said the percentage of request for repatriation is low compared to the more than 153,000 documented OFWs coming from the region as of October.
An OFW who is a member of the OWWA who dies of natural causes while working abroad is also entitled to P100,000 benefit and P200,000 if the death is due to an accident plus a P20,000 burial assistance.
Madrid said one selected dependent may also avail of a scholarship privilege until completion of a course in college extended by the OWWA and support to a livelihood project.
OWWA records show that of the 153,322 OFWs in Western Visayas, 101,966 are land-based while 51,353 are sea-based workers.
Iloilo province has the most OWWA members with 74,443 OFWs, and most of these are from Iloilo City, which has 23,251 members.
Negros Occidental has 42,531, including Bacolod City which has 15,050 OFWs registered at OWWA 6.
Membership from the province of Capiz has reached 13, 654; Antique, 10,486; Aklan, 8,562; and Guimaras, 3, 656.*PNA
