Department of Labor and Employment’s cash assistance program has been drawing a lot of criticism and doubts among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).
According to DOLE, qualified OFWs are only those who lost their jobs or terminated due to COVID-19, OFWs who are in their jobsites, stranded or those who are offered a “No Work, No Pay” by their companies due to COVID-19, repatriated OFWs from February 3, 2020, onwards and, Balik-Manggagawa who failed to return to their work abroad due to the “Enhanced Community Quarantine” or lockdown from the host country due to COVID.
But one OFW couldn’t accept this regulation as she is affected by the recent shutting of their company due to COVID-19. She was not terminated. She was only temporarily prohibited to work because their company shut down to help curb the spread of disease. She messaged the Philippine Embassy on Facebook hoping to have clear answers from one of their representatives.
But the OFW was hurt by the Embassy’s response to her problem. Here is the reply:
Netizens, particularly OFWs, were not so happy on the reply that the OFW got from the Philippine Embassy, a place where help should come from.
One netizen was saddened by the words of the representative especially the ones saying that OFWs don’t pay taxes which goes to the government and that OFWs don’t have contributions to uplift the economy of the Philippines.
If there are angry netizens, there are also others who tried to understand the representative behind the Philippine Embassy Facebook page.
One netizen thinks that the representative’s thoughts are correct and that OFWs must save for unpredicted situations like this pandemic.
Meanwhile, the embassy is already investigating this issue.
Zylainne cortez
This is really insane… Walang ambag ang ofw? Wlang binabayarang tax? Sa pagkakaintindi ko lang.. everyone is a tax payer.. unang una malaki ang naiambag ng mga OFW sa income ng Pilipinas bakit sa laki ng remittance ng mga ofw kikita ang ang mga remittance centre sa Pilipinas dahil sa malaki ang kita nila malaki din ang mabayaran nilang tax.. which pera ng ofw sila kumita so pera ng ofw ang ibabayad tama diba? Pangalawa tambay man homeless man sugarol o anu man uri ng pamumuhay mo is a tax payer dahil alam mo Kong bakit bumibili sila.. ang binibila nila may patong na tawag Jan VAT (Value Added Tax) maliit man pero nag babayad parin ng tax.. ang may pinakamalaking tax payer mg bansa is ang mga Negusyante, OFW at FARMERS.. correct me if I’m wrong..
Rechel Alico
Ano yon ang gulo gulo..tinatawag na bayani ang ofw at mahalaga pero parang lumalabas na walang na eambag sa bayan?
Marz
Ang bayani nagsasakripisyo at hindi pasanin ng bayam kaya tinawag na bayani. Hindi tayo Amerika or mayamang bansa na pwede lang umasa sa mga bigay galing sa gobyerno. May mga prioridad din ang gobyerno natin. Dapat wag natin masyadong ilagay sa ulo na porke OFW at tinawag na bayani magiging pasanin. Pano ka magiging bayani kung ibang lahi tinutulongan mo? Yung tax na binabayaran no man na galing sa sahod mo ang bansang pinagtatrabahuhan mo ang nakikinabang. Sila din ang nakikinabang sa skills at talino mo. Hindi ko lang din maintindihan bakit ang mga bayaning ito pag humiling sa gobyerno sa pinas e masyadong bastos. Tapos pag sa ibang gobyerno takot na takot sa mga autoridad. Porket nakapadala ka sa pinas considered bayani ka. Dapat ugali mo bayani rin!