PH labor office in Qatar assures continuous process of cash aid

FILE: Personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) assist overseas Filipino workers heading home to their respective provinces during a send-off at the departure area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on Tuesday (May 26, 2020). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA – The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Doha, Qatar has assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that it continues to accept and process applications for cash assistance under the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program despite its two-week closure.

In an advisory on Wednesday, the Philippine Embassy in Doha said the POLO would be closed from June 29 to July 12, in compliance with Qatar’s health regulations and as a precautionary measure for the safety of OFWs.

The advisory said the processing of AKAP applications would continue but the release of the cash aid has also been suspended.

“POLO will continue receiving and evaluating applications for the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) AKAP cash assistance program for OFWs but pay-outs are suspended for the time period mentioned above,” it said.

The one-time cash assistance of USD200, or approximately PHP10,000, is given to Filipino workers abroad and those stranded in the country due to the community quarantine.

All POLO officers and staff have undergone swab testing on June 28 and have been told to undergo home quarantine for 14 days by the Ministry of Public Health.

This was after several workers staying at the Migrant Workers and Other Filipinos Resource Center in Doha have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

It added that POLO officers and staff would continue to work from home and attend to emergency requests related to labor and employment assistance through telephone.

There will be no online appointments for the verification of employment documents; issuance of overseas employment certificates; renewal of membership at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; and Social Security System and Pag-Ibig services from June 29 to July 12.