MANILA, Philippines — Returning overseas Filipino workers will no longer be provided transportation and accommodation assistance beginning June, after the country’s pandemic task force eased restrictions in Metro Manila and other areas.
In an advisory issued on Tuesday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said that the Alert Level 1 status of some areas has allowed some services to operate in full capacity.
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“In view of this, OWWA-chartered buses at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and OWWA-sweeper flights at the NAIA Terminal II shall cease operations on June 1, 2022, Wednesday,” the advisory, signed by OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac, read.
However, the OWWA said it would continue providing accommodation and transportation assistance to returning distressed OFWs that have been identified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices or OWWA airport officers.
The OWWA would also extend assistance to returning OFWs who are back home via government repatriation flights or by POLO assisted flights.
OFWs who are partially vaccinated or those who are unvaccinated that are required to undergo quarantine will also be provided accommodation assistance by the OWWA.
“However, their onward transportation to their respective home provinces shall be at their own expense,” the advisory read.
According to the May 23 report of the Task Group on Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos, over 3.219 million Filipinos abroad have gone home because of the pandemic. More than 2.111 million of these are OFWs.
The OWWA has assisted 802,538 returning OFWs to go back to their home regions, while 329,067 have availed of the OFW Kalinga program. — Kaycee Valmonte