BANGUED, Abra (PIA) - - Fifty  Overseas Filipino Workers  and their dependents  and an  organization are the  recent  recipients  of  financial benefits under  the  various programs of the  Overseas Workers Welfare Administration – Cordillera.  

 National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers Director Gerald “Dindi” Tan together with OWWA-CAR Regional Director Luzviminda Tumaliuan,  and Board Member Rodolfo Dela Paz  led the turn-over of benefits.

Three  families  received  death and insurance benefits under the Insurance Claim Fund at P120,000.00 each while 32 student scholars under the OFW Dependents Scholarship Program  received   amount ranging from P10,000.00 to P20,000.00 each.  

There were also 11 OFWs  who are recipients of assistance   ranging from P10, 000.00 to P20, 000.00 under the Balik Pinas Balik Hanapbuhay program.

Other  benefits turned over  for  one recipient each  include  P120,000.00 for insurance benefit and bereavement under the Welfare Assistance Program; P10,000 relief assistance for a Ukraine repatriate;  P15,000.00 for a student-DOST qualifier under the Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program; P10,000.00 livelihood assistance under the NRCO- Livelihood Development Assistance Program; and  P10,000.00 under the NRCO-Balik Pinay! Balik Hanapbuhay.

 OWWA officials also turned over to the Pacpaca OFW Organization based in barangay Pacpaca in Luba a check worth P80,000.00 under the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Pag-unlad ng Samahang OFWs or Tulong PUSO livelihood grant. This represents the first tranche of the organization’s piggery livelihood project amounting to P400, 000.00.

Tulong PUSO Program is a one-time financial grant implemented to encourage OFWs to form their own groups or organizations and to venture into business activities.

Tan shared how he witnessed OFWs who sacrifice with all the challenges and the difficulties they bear and go through while working abroad leaving their family behind.  He  reiterated the importance of education among the OFW student dependents so that after finishing their studies, they could find sustainable and good paying jobs to break the cycle of poverty in the family.

With the Filipino tradition of  helping uplift the family’s way of living, it would be their turn to help or take the place of relatives abroad so they could come back home for good, he suggested as a mindset for OFW children.

 Tumaliuan, meanwhile, reminded the OFWs to religiously pay their regular dues every two years as this is where the benefits are derived from.

Dela Paz, who delivered the message of Gov. Joy Bernos, expressed support to the programs of the OFWs  that  will continue on with the new administration under the leadership of Governor-elect Dominic Valera. (JDP/SCA-PIA CAR, Abra)