RESUMPTION OF AID DISTRIBUTION. Kidapawan Public Employment Services Office manager Herminia Infanta (center) answers queries about next month's release of the second round of cash assistance for families of migrant workers from the city on Saturday (July 25, 2020). The second round of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration cash assistance program was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Kidapawan CIO)
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Over 2,000 families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here are set to benefit from the scheduled second round roll-out of earthquake calamity assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the city government here announced Saturday.
Herminia Infanta, manager of the Kidapawan Public Employment Services Office (PESO), said each OWWA family-beneficiary will receive PHP1,500-PHP3,000 based on the assessment by OWWA on the damages wrought by the episodes of earthquakes that destroyed their respective houses between October to November last year.
The aid distribution is set on August 5, 7, 11, 12 and 13, 2020 at the city gymnasium from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Based on records, 2,265 family-beneficiaries here will receive the cash aid from a total of 3,337 families which the OWAA earlier validated and approved.
The first batch of 1,072 family-recipients have already received the OWWA grant last November 2019, according to Infanta.
“The assistance distribution was delayed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,” she said.
This city is one of seven local government units severely affected by the series of tremors that shook the Soccsksargen Region from Oct. 29–Nov. 15, 2019, that damaged several billions worth of infrastructures and properties.
A total of 46,761 families or 233,805 individuals were also affected by the earthquake incident in 211 barangays of the region, records from the regional disaster risk reduction management council showed.
Infanta said the names of qualified beneficiaries will be posted in PESO, barangay, and purok bulletin boards indicating the designated date of release to avoid mass gathering.
“This is to assure safe physical distancing is observed by the minimum health protocols required by the law”, she said.
Infanta said that only a direct family member of each OFW is allowed to claim the cash assistance with their valid identification documents to be verified by OWWA and PESO officials. (PNA)
