OFW Remittances Will Be Badly Hit By Pandemic

In the assessment of the nation’s economic losses from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a big part is expected to come from the greatly diminished remittances of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). For weeks now, they have been returning by the thousands from countries around the world.

All returning Filipinos are required to undergo 14-day quarantine before they are allowed to go home. The Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) is overseeing some 110 quarantine facilities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces for returning OFWs. This month, some 86,000 OFWs were reported to have received government assistance in the amount of $200 each, but there are over pending 230,000 applications for aid.