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DOLE: 43,000 OFWs affected by coronavirus crisis have received cash aid

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/04/24/dole.jpg"/><figcaption><em>From the Department of Foreign Affairs official Facebook page</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday it has provided cash assistance to 43,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.</p><p>Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the agency received over 223,000 applications for the assistance, but only 150,000 OFWs were expected to benefit from the P1.5-billion budget of the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program.</p><p>“Ang problema… as of yesterday, ang nag-apply ay 223,000 na, lampas na sa 150,000. Medyo kinabahan kami,” he told radio DZMM.</p><p>(The problem... as of yesterday, 223,000 people have applied, already over 150,000. We got a bit nervous.)</p><p>Applicants qualified for a one-time $200 or P10,000 financial assistance, the labor chief said, are those who lost jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis. </p><p>To date, some 21,000 sea-based OFWs and 15,000 land-based OFWs were repatriated due to the COVID-19 crisis, he revealed.</p><p>Bello said the agency might request for additional funding from the national government for its AKAP program.</p><p>As of Friday, the number of Filipinos abroad diagnosed with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reached nearly 1,200.</p><p>Of the total, 689 Filipinos are undergoing treatment while 319 of them have recovered or were discharged from hospital. The remaining 177 died of the disease.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKI-Cl9slns?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday it had provided cash assistance to 43,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.</p>

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday it had provided cash assistance to 43,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.