Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong have appealed to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople to facilitate the release of their COVID assistance which was due since last August.
Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, chairperson of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong Cooperative, made the appeal during a broadcast interview.
“We have identified 90 claimants who have submitted their petitions to the Mission for Migrant Workers who were denied of the COVID assistance. These are Filipinos who tested positive here in Hong Kong,” Pelaez said.
She added that Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Arnel Ignacio has promised to address their concern.
“There are also those who claim that they have been denied financial help because they lack some of the documents the administration requires to qualify for the financial aid program,” Pelaez added.
The affected OFWs were supposed to receive S200 or P10,000 p from the cash aid program.
“We reviewed the current program and decided to disperse cash-aid through a different program that does not require the complicated documents asked by the AKP. This will be an ordinary financial assistance program for the first 43 workers who I made a promise to,” Ignacio said.