Department of Labor and Employment(DOLE)

June 5, 2020 Dear Ramil Galeste, Greetings! Thank you for your request dated Apr 27, 2020 09:57:06 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch. Your Request You asked for Standby seafarer because of COVID-19. Response to Request For financial assistance (DOLE-AKAP for OFWs) for displaced OFWs, may we refer you to OWWA as they are the office directly handling the program. OWWA implements the DOLE-AKAP for the displaced OFWs on account of COVID-19. It is a one-time special cash assistance amounting to PhP10,000.00 or USD200 or its equivalent to the currency of the host country. The DOLE-AKAP for OFWs cover the displaced land-based and sea-based regular/ documented OFWs, the Balik-Manggagawa (BM)/vacationing workers and the Qualified Undocumented OFWs who have experienced job displacement on account of COVID 19. Application Forms may be downloaded and submitted together with required documents through http://www.owwa.gov.ph/forms/dole.akap.pdf The following are eligible to benefit from the DOLE-AKAP: 1) Those who have experienced job displacement due to the receiving country's imposition to lockdown or community or having been infected by the disease; 2) Must be still at overseas jobsites, or in the Philippines as Balik-Manggagawa, or already repatriated to the Philippines; and 3) Must not receive any financial support/assistance from the receiving countries/employers. Kindly take note that the following are not covered under the DOLE-AKAP: • Those who have received the PhP 10,000.00 special cash assistance under the OWWA Special Financial Assistance to the Stranded OFWs due to the 2019 N-COV ARD; • Those who have already received their monthly salaries, separation pay, gratuity, financial assistance or other monetary benefits from their employers or host government; • Those whose employment contracts have expired or were terminated for reason other than the COVID-19 pandemic; • Those who were repatriated through amnesty program or those granted Amnesty by the host country for undocumented workers; and • Those who voluntarily ended their employment contracts prior to or on occasion of the pandemic. Also, you may try to contact the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) at hotline 1348 or 1158. For more details, you may visit their facebook page at facebook.com/OWWAcares or their website at www.dole-akap.owwa.gov., or resubmit your request addressed to the correct agency on the eFOI portal at https://www.foi.gov.ph/requests?agency=OWWA For further assistance, you may review the FAQ section of the eFOI site: https://www.foi.gov.ph/help. Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III at DOLE Building, Muralla St., Intramuros, Manila. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011). Thank you so much and keep safe! Respectfully, ROVELINDA A. DELA ROSA FOI Champion