DOLE Assures Protection to HK-based OFWs

With the effectivity of Hong Kong’s latest sanction against the Philippine on Wednesday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assured overseas Filipino workers in HK that the government is concern with their protection.

Gma News Online reported DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz saying the OFWs in Hong Kong are not affected by the latest sanction and her office is ready to help those who are looking for jobs elsewhere or return home for good.

Baldoz said they have “tailor-fit” programs for returning OFWs and for those in distress. She added they even offer alternative livelihood for those who are looking for better income.

The secretary explained these programs include repatriation and welfare assistance, skills training and re-training, scholarships for OFWs and their dependents, psycho-social counseling, and livelihood and entrepreneurship, report said.

She added the DOLE continues to intensify its “Balik-Pinay-Balik Hanap-buhay” Program which, according to Baldoz, provides livelihood starter kits for small, home-based businesses.

The DOLE has a P2-billion National Reintegration Loan program that aims to support OFWs and their families who plan to put up businesses, report said.

The loan program, managed by the Land Bank of the Philippines, has an annual rate of 7.5 percent in declining balance with a flexible payment scheme of up to five years and an incentive grace period of two years. The program allows a borrower to loan from P200,000 up to P2 million.

Baldoz advised the OFWs to maintain their commitment, dedication to work, and their good ties with their employers while following Hong Kong’s rules and regulations, report said.

Hong Kong scrapped its visa-free travel privileges for Philippine officials and diplomatic passport holders after the Philippine government refused to give a public apology for the families of the victims of the tragic 2010 hostage crisis in Manila.

Source: Gma News Online