According to DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, they have been preparing a livelihood assistance program for OFWs displaced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, saying this is part of the government’s recovery plans.
Returning Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) may avail of some P20,000 in assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to put up a small business in the country.
“Our immediate program is livelihood assistance and we will focus on returning and stranded OFWs. We will be giving them livelihood projects… OFWs are our main target,” he noted.
Under the program, OFWs can present their business proposals to DOLE for funding. Once approved, an OFW will be provided with a maximum of P20,000 as start-up capital for the livelihood project.
Bello added if an OFW needs a higher capital, DOLE can give them a loan, interest free.
It was estimated that some 25,000 OFWs have already returned to the Philippines since the start of the pandemic, while 40,000 others are expected to be repatriated until June.
Here is an excerpt from the interview of Sec. Bello III, last May 14, 2020 in Public Briefing #LagingHandaPH hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar and PCOO Undersecretary Rocky Ignacio:
SEC. BELLO: Ang immediate na programa namin ay iyong livelihood, Rocky… iyong livelihood and we will focus on iyong ating mga OFWs na nakauwi at iyong mga hindi nakaalis. Bibigyan namin sila ng livelihood projects, mamili sila ng mga negosyo, halimbawa, mag-put up sila ng karinderya, mag-put up ng sari-sari store, magtanim ng ganito, magtanim ng ganoon. Bibigyan namin sila ng livelihood assistance of a minimum of twenty thousand; pero kung mas malaki ang kailangan nila, puwede namin silang pautangin interest-free
Iyon po ang aming tina-target, iyong mga OFW na bumalik dahil nawalan sila ng trabaho abroad. We will try to provide them with livelihood assistance. In fact, we are already preparing iyong possible na hanapbuhay kagaya ng gumagawa na kami noong ‘Nego-Kart’, gumagawa na rin kami ng ano…iyong maliliit na bangka, mechanized bangka baka kakailanganin ng ating mga OFW pagbalik nila sa Pilipinas.
