DOLE releases advisory in connection to displaced OFW’s financial assistance from the government. However, most of us can’t avail of this assistance from OWWA. Most sea-based OFWs doesn’t possess the requirements asked by the department.
First of all, the lockdowns in various places and restriction to movement causes most shipping agency to work on skeletal force. This means only important matters are handled in regards to operations.
Can’t comply with the required docs
Perhaps the obvious reason why we can’t avail of this assistance is that we lack the required documents. For your guidance, here are the items you need to upload:
You can ask your crewing agency to help you out with this. But considering the enhanced community quarantine, most offices are closed. As with most seafarers who are unable to gather this requirements, then consider it useless.
If however you have the above requirements, visit http://dole-akap.owwa.gov.ph. Fill out necessary information and upload the requirements. Then, a representative from OWWA will evaluate and discuss with you if you are eligible for assistance.
Unable to get help from LGU/DSWD
When you go to the LGU, there is a slight chance that you can avail of any help. First of all, you are well documented that you are an OFW. Thus, they assume that you are already processing assistance from DOLE.
Worse is that our mates who are in Manila, stranded because flights got cancelled, joining postponed, etc. They are the ones who need most help during this time. Since there is a huge probability of them having no resources to pull out from.
On the other hand, this is the individuals who qualify to receive the social amelioration program by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Missing help from the Union
There are mates who receive help and there are those who did not. Whatever their program is, it is not reaching far flung areas where their members are. Obviously, no public dissemination of information about their help efforts to make us say they are there to help.
What action to take?
The best way to help yourself is to have savings for this kind of situation. But getting it now is too late and should have been done before. The other is to get help from someone you know who can help you.
Anyone’s best hope is to stay at home and wait for this to subside. Only then flights will resume and quarantine will be lifted. Only then we can join a vessel and have a job.