MANILA, Philippines — Some 6,000 families of Overseas Filipino Workers affected by the 7.0-magnitude quake in the province of Abra have received cash aid from the government.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac explained to TeleRadyo that the Department of Migrant Workers has earmarked P20 million for assistance to affected families of OFWs that are registered with them.
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“The range of the cash assistance, according to Secretary Toots Ople, and [Labor and Employment Secretary] Benny Laguesma, is from P3,000 to P5,000,” Cacdac said in Filipino, although he added the board of trustees is still determining the exact amount.
After seeking help from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, they determined the province of Abra as among the most affected by the quake.
“In our initial tally, [aid has been provided to] 6,000 families in Abra [province],” he added.
Those who wish to avail of the assistance may do so online or through walk in, Cacdac said, but he said they have also dispatched teams on the ground to determine qualified families for the aid.
He stressed that families of active OWWA members, or those who have paid the agency’s dues in the last two years, whether they are in abroad or in the Philippines may receive the cash assistance.
The quake affected 100,665 families or 381,614 persons in the Ilocos, Cagayan and Cordillera Administrative Regions. Of these, 1,070 families or 3,781 persons have been displaced and are seeking temporary shelter at 40 evacuation centers.
Some 12,637 affected families or 46,733 persons are staying outside the evacuation centers. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Kaycee Valmonte