OWWA to lend aid to OFWs in hurricane-hit Bahamas this week

By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Tuesday assured the public that they will be giving financial assistance this week to the overseas Filipino workers in the Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.

"[W]e have been working on a package of financial assistance to be given to OFWs in Bahamas [...] We would encourage affected OFWs to await distribution of the financial assistance in Bahamas within this week," OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac told GMA News Online in a message through OWWA Deputy Administrator Mocha Uson.

A Filipino nurse in the Bahamas called for government aid last week concerning the damage brought by the hurricane, claiming that earlier requests made by fellow OFWs to OWWA had been ignored.

Imelda Factor Glori said that workers who returned to Manila to ask for help were told by OWWA employees that they did not know anything about the hurricane.

For his part, Cacdac said they will be investigating the situation and will "reprimand" the involved employees if the allegations are proven to be true.

"Please send our assurances of support to OWWA members who were victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Also, our apologies for the misunderstanding," Cacdac earlier said in a text message.

OWWA will be coordinating with POLO-WDC to provide financial assistance to the affected workers, he added.

Glori, nurse in-charge at Hope Town Clinic, also commended the Filipino Association Bahamas for "quickly" assisting the residents.

"Each of us victims were given $250 without hesitation [and] documents or ID presented. Most of our passports and IDs were destroyed because our roofs [were] flown away," Glori said in an email.

At least 13,000 houses were damaged or destroyed in the area, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' Emergency Operation Center in Geneva, Sune Bulow, earlier said.

The Philippine consul general in Washington, D.C. held a meeting in the Bahamas to distribute $100 to the OFWs in the area. However, workers lamented that this wasn't enough. — RSJ, GMA News