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| DMW and Consulate officials pose with Kumustahan participants (MWO photo) |
A total of HK$3.9 million or PhP31 million in assistance has been distributed to 303 Overseas Filipino Workers under the Aksyon Fund from January to June 2026, the Migrant Workers Office has reported,
Aksyon (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na
Nangangailangan) Fund is a special Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)
allocation providing free legal, medical, financial, and humanitarian
aid—including rescue, evacuation, and repatriation—to distressed OFWs and their
families.
“In most cases kapag may lumapit sa amin we will be
providing referrals pero kapag available naman dito (n Hogn Kong), we will
provide the assistance right away,” Labor Attaché Cesar L. Chavez Jr. said
during the Kumustahan Session with Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)
Undersecretary Felicitas Q. Bay last Aug. 16 at the DMW-OWWA OFW Global Centre
in Hong Kong.
He added that this assistance is a one-time aid for OFWs in
need.
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The assistance takes many forms, such as:
Legal Aid: Attorney fees, court litigation expenses, and
representation for labor, immigration, or criminal cases.
Medical and Burial: Hospitalization, medicines, medical
evacuation, and shipment of human remains.
Repatriation and Shelter: Emergency transport, exit visas,
temporary accommodations, and food allowances.
Financial Grants: One-time cash assistance for economic
displacement or bereavement (up to ₱100,000 for next of kin).
For her part, Undersecretary Bay said: “24/7 po ang ating
operations sa Department of Migrant Workers at sa lahat ng Migrant Workers
Offices.”
She added that the DMW also has a One Repatriation Command
Center through hotline 1348 ready to cater to OFWs and their families other
than the MWO Hotlines available at post.
The Kumustahan Session provided Filipinos in Hong Kong with
an opportunity to be briefed on the wide range of programs and services offered
by DMW, remind them of their legal rights while working abroad and inform them
of upskilling programs that they can avail from the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“The event reinforces DMW’s commitment to ensuring that
Overseas Filipino Workers remain informed, empowered, and safeguarded in their
overseas journey” the MWO said in a statement.
Undersecretary Bay was joined by Consul General Romulo
Victor M. Israel Jr., Vice Consul George Mariano Soriano, TESDA Executive
Director Janet M. Abasolo, DMW Adjudication Bureau Director Maria Bernadine
Madamba and Labor Attaché Chavez..
“Together, they addressed concerns raised by the community
and reaffirmed the Philippine government’s commitment to safeguarding the
rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers,”MWO said.
