The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) here has extended relief assistance to overseas Filipino workers repatriated from Libya.
OWWA regional head Zenobia Caro said 54 of the 56 OFWs who were sent home in the wake of escalating hostilities in Libya, have availed of government assistance.
Caro said OWWA has been facilitating programs to assist OFWs who returned home with little or nothing to bring to their families.
Aside from the assistance, OWWA has facilitated nine project proposals of the OFWs which were submitted to DOLE for funding, Caro reported to the first quarter meeting of the Regional Tripartite Peace Council spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) last week here.
She said DOLE has approved the proposals, and that funding will be released in time for the celebration of Labor Day on May 1.
OWWA, together with some OFWs, will join the opening rites of the Labor Day celebration at SM City Davao where the livelihood grants from DOLE will be awarded.
Aside from the financial assistance, Caro said that 35 OFWs have been endorsed for debriefing to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the region.
The OFWs were also honed on some business skills in a training provided last month by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Technical Employment Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).
Caro further updated that the remaining OFWs in Libya opted to stay, saying that the workers have received SMS messages from their employers informing them of deployment to other countries. [PIA 11/Carina L. Cayon]
