MANILA, Philippines – Families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the coronavirus pandemic can avail of the emergency subsidy offered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

DSWD reiterated this in a statement released on Sunday, May 10, saying OFWs are among the “vulnerable” sectors that are “most affected” by the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Families with [OFWs] who have no other source of income since January 2020 until the lifting of the community quarantine will qualify under the [emergency subsidy program],” DSWD said.  

Among those who may avail of the subsidy are families of OFWs who were repatriated or banned from travelling outside the Philippines due to COVID-19 as well as relatives who have not received any remittances from the OFWs from January 2020 until the lifting of the lockdown.

DSWD said that qualified OFW families may get in touch with their barangay officials, who should validate the “no work, no pay” status of the OFWs in their respective localities. 

But the DSWD said that the barangay also needs to consider if the applying OFW family already availed of other subsidy programs, like the ones offered by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). (READ: GUIDELINES: OFWs eligible for DOLE’s coronavirus assistance) 

There are more than 2.3 million OFWs around the globe, according to the 2018 Philippine Statistics Authority data. 

Of this number, close to 90,000 OFWs were displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. (READ: Provinces take precautions as returning OFWs test positive for coronavirus)

The Department of Foreign Affairs said 2,179 overseas Filipinos already acquired the deadly disease, with the number of fatalities at 253 as of Saturday, May 9. 

In the Philippines, a total of 10,610 people were infected with COVID-19, with 704 deaths and 1,842 recoveries as of Saturday. – Rappler.com