A total of P300,000 in government assistance has reached 17 overseas Filipino workers tied to Antique, intended to fund small livelihood ventures, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration confirmed.
The largest single share went to the relatives of Rona Jean Gervoso, an OFW who died in Lebanon. Her family was handed P40,000 as supplementary support, on top of an earlier P100,000 the agency had extended on June 12.
The remaining 16 beneficiaries each collected sums ranging from P10,000 to P25,000, drawn from two OWWA schemes: the “Balik-Pinas! Balik Hanapbuhay!” program and the Welfare Assistance Program.
The checks changed hands Thursday at the province’s new capitol building, with OWWA Deputy Administrator Ryan Vincent Uy, Regional Director James Mendiola, and Antique Governor Paolo Javier present to distribute them.
According to the Philippine News Agency, Antique Provincial Planning and Development Officer Bienvenido Nallos Jr. described who the support was meant for. “OWWA released the assistance to distressed OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) and those who opted to stay for good in the province,” he said in a Friday interview.
Nallos noted the practical value of the payouts for the recipients. “The assistance to the OFWs in Antique is a great help to them since they could use it as their capital for their businesses or to buy medicines,” he said.
Gervoso’s body arrived in Barangay Esperanza, Sibalom, on June 16, having been transported from Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte. Her burial is scheduled for June 27 at the Sibalom Public Cemetery.
