Ople instructs OWWA, POLO to aid Japan OFWs affected by typhoon

By ANNA FELICIA BAJO, GMA News Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople on Tuesday directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to extend assistance to overseas Filipino Workers in Japan who were affected by Typhoon Nanmadol. advertisement Nanmadol forced at least four million residents to evacuate from their shelters. Heavy rains and strong winds hit Japan's southern island, with nearly 98,000 households in Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Nagasak, and Miyazaki already without power. Aside from OWWA, Ople also instructed the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) to continue monitoring the situation of OFWs and be ready to provide aid when necessary. Citing information from POLO-Osaka, the DMW said some 13,904 OFWs have been accounted for and are unharmed and safe. Of the total number, 5,368 are in Fukuoka, 660 in Saga, 1,001 in Nagasaki, 2,520 in Kumamoto, 1,607 in Oita, 786 in Miyazaki, and 1,962 in Kagoshima. POLO-Osaka is also in contact with most employers and supervising agencies of the OFWs in Kyushu. Employers were directed to monitor the conditions of their OFWs. Meanwhile, POLO-Tokyo, which has 22,000 OFWs under its jurisdiction, said it has not received any request for aid as of Monday night. It, however, reminded OFWs, employers, and recruitment agencies to report any typhoon-related incidents involving Filipinos. Those Filipino workers needing assistance in Japan may contact the following helplines: POLO - TOKYO Welfare Hotline (WelOf Nico Herrera) +81 70 3630 0167 POLO - OSAKA LabAtt Elizabeth Estrada +81 70 2275 6083 WelOf Pilipina Dino +81 70 2447 4014 Welfare Hotline (Dahnia Domado) + 81 70 2447 4016 Verification Hotline (Marina Mori Alvez) + 81 70 2275 6082 Meanwhile, Ople also also directed the POLO and other labor officials in Taiwan to provide her with regular updates on the situation after twin quakes that hit that country over the weekend. Ople had earlier assured OFWs in Taiwan that the DMW was ready to help quake-affected Filipinos. “I would like to assure our over 147,000 OFWs in Taiwan and their families that the DMW is ready to provide the needed assistance, particularly for those who have been affected by the earthquake,” Ople had said in a statement. No Filipinos perished from the Taiwan quakes. There were also no reports of damage to their worksites or dormitories. — DVM, GMA News

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