Gov't releases livelihood fund for laid-off OFWs
MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has released a P250-million livelihood support fund for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) being laid off as a result of the global financial crisis.
The President unveiled the payback program on Friday in Malacanang in front of 105 workers who were laid off last week by a Taiwanese electronics firm, the Office of the Press Secretary said.
"(The) government will not sit idly. …We assure you of our full, unequivocal support," said Mrs. Arroyo during the ceremonies.
She assured OFWs that her administration will do everything in her power to help them.
"Gagawin lahat ang makakaya (for OFWs) … Dapat 'di magpabaya ang pamahalaan (We will do everything that we can … The government should not neglect them)," she said, pointing out that the contribution of OFWs is vital to the Philippine economy.
According to the report, the loan fund will be used as startup capital by OFWs who have decided to stay in the Philippines “for good" and want to set up their own businesses.
Arroyo has also instructed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to come up with guidelines that would speed up the implementation of the assistance program for the laid-off Filipino workers, said the report.
"Dapat gawin kaagad ang guidelines - simple lang – dapat 'di masalimuot (The guidelines should be created at ones – it's simple – it shouldn't be complicated)," she said.
Future occupational prospects for OFWs
According to Malacaňang, each worker who was laid off last week by a Taiwanese electronics firm was given one abaca bag containing a certificate of assistance from the Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (Tesda) for free skills training, a referral letter for overseas employment from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and for local employment from the Bureau of Local Employment, an OFW Family Club Card from the Social Security Service, and a certificate of eligibility for livelihood assistance from OWWA.
The President also distributed four Livelihood Funding Checks for the laid-off workers: P150,000 for those from Cavite to be supervised by the Technology Resource Center & Dream Inc., P110,000 for those from the Visayas and Mindanao, P70,000 for those from Laguna, and P160,000 for those from Pampanga.
Moreover, she said that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must keep looking for employment opportunities for Filipinos in compliance with the administrative order she issued earlier directing the POEA to widen the job market for Filipino expatriate workers.
In Bulgaria alone, she said that some 1,000 hotel and restaurant jobs are currently available to OFWs.
In addition, she said that she has ordered DOLE, while providing online information to job-seekers, to set up provincial desks that would match skills and job opportunities abroad.
With this, Arroyo said she wished the OFW returnees good luck on their career paths.
Low figure
Amid talks of massive layoffs, the President, however, was quick to note that "only a trickle of our OFWs (have) lost their jobs because of the worldwide financial crunch."
Data from the Department of Labor and Employment said at least 1,423 OFWs in four countries have lost their jobs as a direct result of the economic crunch as of Friday. Of the number, the bulk were from Taiwan, 75 were laid off in Australia's shipbuilding industry, 69 were garment factory workers in Brunei, and 16 were linemen in a United Kingdom service telecommunications company.
The total figure is much lower than the number of Filipinos leaving the country daily for work abroad, which is more than 2,500.
President Arroyo also said that while about 200 Filipino seafarers had earlier lost their jobs, most have since already found new employers. - GMANews.TV
The President unveiled the payback program on Friday in Malacanang in front of 105 workers who were laid off last week by a Taiwanese electronics firm, the Office of the Press Secretary said.
"(The) government will not sit idly. …We assure you of our full, unequivocal support," said Mrs. Arroyo during the ceremonies.
She assured OFWs that her administration will do everything in her power to help them.
"Gagawin lahat ang makakaya (for OFWs) … Dapat 'di magpabaya ang pamahalaan (We will do everything that we can … The government should not neglect them)," she said, pointing out that the contribution of OFWs is vital to the Philippine economy.
According to the report, the loan fund will be used as startup capital by OFWs who have decided to stay in the Philippines “for good" and want to set up their own businesses.
Arroyo has also instructed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to come up with guidelines that would speed up the implementation of the assistance program for the laid-off Filipino workers, said the report.
"Dapat gawin kaagad ang guidelines - simple lang – dapat 'di masalimuot (The guidelines should be created at ones – it's simple – it shouldn't be complicated)," she said.
Future occupational prospects for OFWs
According to Malacaňang, each worker who was laid off last week by a Taiwanese electronics firm was given one abaca bag containing a certificate of assistance from the Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (Tesda) for free skills training, a referral letter for overseas employment from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and for local employment from the Bureau of Local Employment, an OFW Family Club Card from the Social Security Service, and a certificate of eligibility for livelihood assistance from OWWA.
The President also distributed four Livelihood Funding Checks for the laid-off workers: P150,000 for those from Cavite to be supervised by the Technology Resource Center & Dream Inc., P110,000 for those from the Visayas and Mindanao, P70,000 for those from Laguna, and P160,000 for those from Pampanga.
Moreover, she said that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must keep looking for employment opportunities for Filipinos in compliance with the administrative order she issued earlier directing the POEA to widen the job market for Filipino expatriate workers.
In Bulgaria alone, she said that some 1,000 hotel and restaurant jobs are currently available to OFWs.
In addition, she said that she has ordered DOLE, while providing online information to job-seekers, to set up provincial desks that would match skills and job opportunities abroad.
With this, Arroyo said she wished the OFW returnees good luck on their career paths.
Low figure
Amid talks of massive layoffs, the President, however, was quick to note that "only a trickle of our OFWs (have) lost their jobs because of the worldwide financial crunch."
Data from the Department of Labor and Employment said at least 1,423 OFWs in four countries have lost their jobs as a direct result of the economic crunch as of Friday. Of the number, the bulk were from Taiwan, 75 were laid off in Australia's shipbuilding industry, 69 were garment factory workers in Brunei, and 16 were linemen in a United Kingdom service telecommunications company.
The total figure is much lower than the number of Filipinos leaving the country daily for work abroad, which is more than 2,500.
President Arroyo also said that while about 200 Filipino seafarers had earlier lost their jobs, most have since already found new employers. - GMANews.TV
Comments