TACLOBAN CITY- More than 7,000 individuals who are dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in the region availed of their agency’s cash-for-work program.
This was revealed by Ma. Evangelina Filamor, officer-in-charge chief of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)’s programs and services division. According to Filamor, their cash-for-work program, introduced to help victims of supertyphoon Yolanda in the region, benefited 7,394 dependents of overseas workers. The beneficiaries of their cash-for-work program were from the provinces of Eastern Samar covering the towns of Guiuan, Mercedes,Salcedo,Gen. McArthur, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Balangiga and Lawaan; Samar(Marabut and Basey); Leyte( Tanauan, Tolosa, Dulag, Burauen, MacArthur, Mayorga, Palo, Leyte-Leyte, Sta. Fe,Alangalang, Jaro and the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban) and Biliran.
The OWWA released an amount of P27.13 million for the salaries of the beneficiaries who were paid at P260 a day for their work ranging from seven days up to 30 days, depending what kind of their work.
The beneficiaries mostly work in the cleaning and clearing of canals, streets and damaged barangay buildings. According to Filamor, Region 8 obtained the biggest released of funds among the other two regions in the Visayas (Regions 6 and 7) hit by Yolanda which also implemented their cash-for-work program.
“I believe that the cash-for- work program was a big help to the beneficiaries during the chaos that they experienced after the supertyphoon Yolanda. The program was an emergency employment to aid the beneficiaries to afford them to buy their basic needs”, said Filamor.“I can say that the program was an achievement of the OWWA. We helped not only the beneficiaries but also in the beautification and sanitation of a community”, Filamor said. (JUL GRABILLO- LNU-Intern)
