Duterte offers 4Ps, tuition aid to retrenched OFWs

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday made a string of promises to the 129 OFWs repatriated from Saudi Arabia, including inclusion in the government's conditional cash transfer program and education for their kids billed to his office.
"Kung talagang medyo hirap ka, even to survive, let me know. Kasi kung talagang sarado, then i-enroll ko na lang kayo sa 4Ps," he said, referring to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which provides conditional cash grants to the poor.
Duterte, however, told them to exit from the program once they find stable job.
"Just don't be a liar. Sabihin na ninyo ang totoo kung may trabaho na kayo, then I'll stop the assistance," he said.
Aside from inclusion in the 4Ps, Duterte also told the OFWs that the Office of the President can pay for the education of their children.
"Maybe iyong sabi niya na walang pang-enrollment, naputol, mag-enroll lang kayo sa state university o sa eskwelahan--any elementary school. I-documentation lang ninyo ang pagka-OFW ninyo. Ako na ang magbayad sa eskwelahan. Ang kailangan lang ipakita iyong employment contract ninyo, when you went out and in. Tapos iyong OFW order," he said.
"Diretso na ang billing sa Office of the President. Marami tayong bangkong mapagnakawan," Duterte told them in jest.
More than that, Duterte also gave the OFWs P5,000 each for their transportation going back to their provinces, and other needs.
Jobs, loans
Duterte also assured the OFWs that his administration is working hard to generate more jobs so that few Filipinos will have to leave the country to find employment.
"We are not so bad actually, okay naman ang ekonomiya natin. Maghintay-hintay lang kayo ng—bigyan mo lang ako konting panahon. Aayusin ko lang and ekonomiya, at ang may opportunity for you to work here," he said.
"We are not really exceeding the expectations, but we are on target sa ating growth. We have hit a phenomenal of 7 [percent], but it’s not something to crow about, we have to do more," Duterte added.
For OFWs eyeing to put up a business in the country, Duterte urged them to go to the Department of Trade and Industy and inquire about how they can get a loan to start a small business.
The 129 repatriated OFWs were just some of the thousands retrenched from Saudi Arabia-based companies after the oil prices hit their lowest in over a decade.  —KBK, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more