Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Returning Filipino OFWs can no longer avail of the free transportation and accommodation assistance provided by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) of the Philippines’ Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) starting June 1. The OWWA released an advisory stating that the National Capital Region (NCR) has been placed under Alert Level 1 which allowed public transportation and other services back to full capacity, causing the need to suspend the said free services. Exempted from the said advisory would be distressed OFWs certified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) or evaluated by authorized OWWA airport officers. The advisory will also not affect returning OFWs provided with government-initiated mass repatriation flights or POLO-provided commercial flights. DOLE-OWWA will continue to provide accommodation assistance to partially vaccinated or unvaccinated OFWs during their mandatory facility-based quarantine. These OFWs, however, will need to pay for their own transportation to their respective home provinces. OWWA-chartered buses at the Paraiiaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and OWWA-sweeper flights at the NAIA Terminal II will also stop their operations on June 1. OWWA encourages returning OFWs to contact their hotline 1348 or the Repatriation Assistance Division at (02) 88917601 local 5213 or by email at rad@owwa.gov.ph for more details or assistance. KSO/Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube page