Capitol releases P2.3M to 847 stranded OFWs

This is the screenshot of the Stranded Cebuanos Assistance Center Facebook page of the Cebu Provincial Government.  The governor through the FB page which helped facilitate the financial assistance of stranded Cebuanos. The Capitol has since released P2.3 million worth of financial assistance to 847 stranded Cebuanos. | screenshot of SCAC.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu provincial government has reported to have disbursed a total of P2,379,000 to Cebuanos who have been stranded in other provinces under its Stranded Cebuanos Assistance Program (SCAP) as of Monday, June 8, 2020.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, during her press conference on Monday evening, said the amount benefited at least 847 “verified” stranded Cebuanos.

The over P2.3 million financial assistance, which the Capitol sent to the locally stranded individuals through money remittance centers, however, were not equally distributed.

Garcia said the province had set a certain amount for LSIs, who were alone in the area where they were stranded, and a relatively larger amount for those, who had companions or were stranded in an area with their families.

Since the launching of the SCAP in the middle of April, Garcia has refused to reveal the actual amount sent to each LSI.

Read more: Cebu province launches ‘assistance center’ for Cebuanos stranded in other provinces

The Capitol launched the Facebook page, Stranded Cebuanos Assistance Center, last April 14, to facilitate the extension of financial assistance to the LSIs who could not go home due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that was in effect nationwide.

The LSIs were then asked to fill out application forms and submit certifications from the local government unit that they were stranded in to prove that they were actually stranded individuals and not those who had already relocated and had wished to come home to Cebu.

The applications for financial assistance were also verified with their LGU’s of residence here in Cebu./dbs