DOLE allocates more AKAP funding for Dubai OFWs

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Philippine government has set aside COVID relief funding to cover 10,000 more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced in Dubai and the neighboring Northern Emirates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This, as only 5,000 of the 56,000 OFWs in Dubai, who have so far applied for the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) “Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong” (AKAP) one-time $200 COVID-19 financial aid program has received their money, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III

The $200 is equivalent to around Dh745, the local currency in the UAE and can go a long way on terms of food groceries or help in rent payment especially for those on visit visas or no-work-no-pay schemes resulting from temporary closures.

“For the record, ang nag-apply (ng DOLE-AKAP) dyan sa Dubai… unbelievable 56,000; but we approved 6,000 and we paid already 5,000 (applicants),” Bello told  Arch. Jason Roi Bucton, chairperson of Kalayaan 2020 during a Zoom meeting on Saturday, May 23, with various OFW leaders around the world.

Kalayaan 2020 is an aggrupation of various OFW organizations across Dubai and the Northern Emirates.   

“Now,” Bello added, “Meron kaming additional allocation para sa Dubai of 10,000.”

In light of this, Bello asked Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay to expedite the processing of documents for a speedy disbursement of the relief aid.

“Kaya bilis bilis nyo dyan. Sabihin kay Labatt (Labor Attaché) Fely bilisan ang pagprocess dun sa application para magamit yung 10,000 allocation for Dubai,” he said.

Bello meantime said DOLE has also already give away 1,200 food packs for OFWs in Dubai.

According to the labor secretary, there are 400,000 documented OFWs in Dubai.

The Zoom meeting was also attended by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) head, Atty. Bernard Olalia and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief, Hans Cacdac.