Jayson Cortes, one of the six displaced overseas Filipino workers who received P20,000 cash assistance from the Cebu provincial government, says he still prefers to work abroad to better provide for his family.
(CDN PHOTO / IZOBELLE PULGO)
Six overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were each given P20,000 cash assistance by the Cebu provincial government on Monday morning.
The OFWs, who were retrenched from their jobs and left stranded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for eight months, came to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) to ask for assistance.
Working as glass and aluminum installers, the six OFWs worked for Alumcos Company for a two-year contract that was supposed to end last October 26.
However, the company stopped operating last January due to the country’s economic crisis.
According to 33-year-old Jayson Cortes, one of the affected OFWs, their company stopped getting projects, prompting it to shut down and lay off employees.
Cortes said they were stranded in the country for months because the release of their papers got delayed and their residence permits expired. It was only last October 6 when the OFWs arrived in the Philippines.
Cortes said they also received financial assistance of P5,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and another P20,000 from the national government, as promised by President Rodrigo Duterte, for their airfare back home amounting to P15,000.
Cortes said their family also received P6,000 cash assistance from Duterte.
Marivic Garces, head of the PSWDO, said that the six OFWs were given cash assistance after they qualified under their program for persons and families in crisis situations.
According to Garces, Provincial Board member Christopher Baricuatro authored a resolution for the granting of cash assistance.
With two of the six OFWs being city residents, Garces stressed that the next time, only residents from the province would be eligible under the program.
Garces said that should the OFWs decide to take up further skills training and work in the country, the PSWDO can tap the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) for their training.
When asked about his future plans, Cortes said he still prefers to work abroad to better provide for his family.
“Lain na sang nasud unya medyo maayo na ang kompanya nga among masudlan. Gamble lang, unsaon naa man tay pamilya. Bahala magkinaunsa basta naa lang ta’y ika-supply sa atong pamilya (It will be another country with a better company. It’s a gamble since we have a family to provide. It doesn’t matter what happens as long we can provide for our family),” he said.
The other OFWs who received cash assistance from the provincial government were Leonardo Palen, Jecky Gulben, Tristan Navaja, Rolito Casilan and Jesus Gale Gonzales Jr.