OWWA starts process for financial assistance to stranded KSA OFWs

^{OWWA Welfare Officer Angel Cruz explains the process of claiming government financial assistance to stranded OFWs in a Jeddah camp. --R. Z. Concha.}

Philippine foreign officials in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began on Saturday giving out forms needed to avail of the financial assistance to retrenched OFWs who are affected by retrenchments amid a slump in the prices of fuel in the oil-producing country.

Personnel of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) in Jeddah distributed assistance forms to claim the cash the Labor Department promised during the visit of Secretary Sivestre Bello III.

Bello promised to give P20,000 each for the close to 11,000 stranded OFWs in the kingdom, and another P6,000 for each of their families in the Philippines.

GMA News KSA stringer Ronaldo Concha said POLO-OWWA personnel went to the camp of the Saudi Oger firm where a good number retrenched of OFWs used to work.

Before the actual release of cash to some OFWs, POLO-OWWA team leaders explained the process of claiming the assistance.

The cash assistance came after Secretary Bello visited the stranded OFWs to see for himself their situation.

Reports said the jobless OFWs have resorted to scavenging for food and to selling their own blood the survive in the KSA.

“Masaya kami ... sana huwag magtagal sana agad ibigay” some OFWs told GMA News. — LBG, GMA News