Baguio city: Former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who came home 'for good' from various countries have thanked the government for the continued assistance to their sector. 'They still check on us and even included us in the assistance so that we can start with something to help us earn an income,' Emily Dela Cruz of Tublay, Benguet, one of the beneficiaries of the 'Balik-Pinas! Balik-Hanapbuhay!' initiative of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), said in an interview on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Dela Cruz arrived home two years ago after parting ways with her employer in Hong Kong, who migrated to Canada. While staying in the country, she got pregnant and gave birth, prompting her to stay for good. She wanted to sell frozen products as a means of livelihood while caring for her child. 'I received PHP20,000 from OWWA today. I will use the money to start a frozen food and fish business in our village. I am thankful for the help extended to me as a former OFW, especially at this time of crisis,' said Dela Cruz, who also used to work in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, 63-year-old Jovelyn Carpio Edrada said she wanted to devote her remaining years to her family after working for more than three decades in Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. She returned home in May last year from Hong Kong. Edrada, who has a 21-year-old daughter who just graduated from college and a son in Grade 9, said that when she arrived last year, she received PHP15,000 from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). Edrada, who used to work in a garments factory abroad, said she will combine the cash aid with the PHP20,000 assistance she received from OWWA and use it to open a tailoring shop on the first floor of her family home in Camp 7. She also said that she was able to qualify for a Social Security System (SSS) pension, which she uses for their needs.
Dina Ponciano, OWWA-Cordillera director, in an interview on the sidelines of the agency's 50th anniversary celebration at their office here, said the agency regularly assists OFWs and their families. 'We release on a day-to-day basis,' she said. She urged OFWs, former OFWs, and their families to come forward and avail themselves of the benefits for the sector. She said the Balik-Pinas! program is a start-up livelihood assistance for OFWs who have decided to stay in the country for good. She said the agency has ramped up the program so beneficiaries could obtain another form of assistance a year later by showing the progress of their livelihood ventures, and yet another assistance two years later to give their business a boost.
