Last year, the Department of Labor and Employment promised a one-time USD200.00 or Php10,000.00 financial assistance program. 

The monetary aid is aimed at land-based and sea-based workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seafarers and OFWs waited patiently for the guidelines that they (DOLE) recently released last April 09.

UPDATE!!

If you already filed an application for financial assistance but haven’t received feedback from OWWA or DOLE-AKAP, kindly skip to the last part.

There are a few things you can do to check the status of your application. I also had that difficulty but managed to solve it and got my financial assistance.

Hope this will be useful to you also.

Are you Qualified for Financial Assistance?

DOLE has set out guidelines as to which overseas workers are covered and eligible for financial aid.

Before jumping on the bandwagon, you might want to check them out if you are entitled to the one-time Php10,000.00 cash assistance.

Coverage

The Department Order generally covers three types of overseas workers.

1. Regular/documented OFWs as defined in the 2016 Revised Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Rules and Regulations refers to those:

  • Regular or documented OFWs are those who possess a valid passport and appropriate visa or permit to stay and work in the receiving country; and
  • Whose contract of employment has been processed by the POEA or the POLO.

2. Qualified Undocumented OFWs

  • Those who were originally regular or documented workers, but for some reason or cause have thereafter lost their regular or documented status;
  • OFWs who are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed by POEA or the POLO, but have undertaken actions to regularize their contracts or status; or
  • Those who are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed by POEA or the POLO, but are active OWWA members at the time of availment.

3. Balik-Manggagawa who are unable to return to the host country in view of its lockdown due to COVID-19.

OFWs and Seafarers in the airport going to the exit area.
OFWs and Seafarers at the airport.

Eligibility

While the coverage defines the types of overseas workers legally working abroad, eligibility sets the condition if you are displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An OFW or Seafarer must experience one of these:

  1. Experienced job displacement due to the receiving country’s imposition of lockdown or community quarantine or having been infected by the disease.
  2. Must be still at overseas job sites, or in the Philippines as Balik-Manggagawa, or already repatriated to the Philippines; and
  3. Must not receive any financial support/assistance from the receiving countries/ employers.

In my previous post regarding the news of the Php10K cash aid, you can also find more information regarding what Sec. Bello said about the DOLE-AKAP program.

It’s also listed there the priority countries or territories for on-site OFWs.

Application Procedure

Now for the part that everyone is waiting for. These are the requirements needed to verify if you are entitled to the Php10,000.00 financial assistance.

Also mentioned below are the steps in processing/ submitting your requirements including the process for releasing your financial aid.

For On-site OFWs (Land-based)

1. OFWs shall submit the following to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO):

  • Accomplished Application Form for Special Cash Assistance downloadable at the POLO’s website or social media account;
  • Copy of Passport or travel document;
  • Proof of overseas employment. Examples are valid verified overseas employment, OEC, residence I.D.s, visa/ re-entry visa, among others, or permit to stay in the receiving country;
  • Proof of loss of employment on account of COVID-19; and
  • For OFWs who became undocumented through no fault of their own, proof that the OFW is currently involved in an ongoing case (e.g. case reference number, case endorsement stamped by POLO, among others)

2. After submission of complete documents, POLOs shall evaluate your submission. They will notify OFWs of the status of his/ her application within 5 working days.

3. If approved, the concerned POLO shall release the USD200.00 through bank transfer/ money remittance.

DOLE-AKAP-APPLICATION-FORM
DOLE-AKAP Application Form

For OFWs Who Have Been Repatriated/ Balik-Manggagawa

1. OFWs who have been repatriated to the Philippines and Balik-Manggagawa shall submit the following. 

Remember that DOLE-AKAP assistance observes the stringent guidelines on social distancing.

Therefore, they urge applicants to submit the requirements online using their website.

  • Accomplished Application Form for Special Cash Assistance downloadable at https://dole-akap.owwa.gov.ph/. The website can only be accessed in the Philippines. Otherwise, you will get an error if you access it from abroad.
  • Copy of Passport or travel document;
  • Proof of overseas employment i.e. valid verified overseas employment, OEC, residence I.D.s, visa/ re-entry visa, among others, or permit to stay in the receiving country;
  • Copy of flight ticket or boarding pass or arrival stamp/ sticker attached to the passport.
  • Proof of loss of employment on account of COVID-19.

Next Simple Steps

Personal information is required to identify the individual. Just fill them out honestly and click “Next“.

DOLE AKAP online form application and submission
DOLE-AKAP online form application and submission from their website.

Equally important are your documents like your Passport, OEC, airline ticket, or any proof that you are displaced by COVID-19.

This will help speed up the process.

Documents for validation of your claim for DOLE AKAP Php10,000.00 special assistance
Documents for validation of your claim for DOLE AKAP Php10,000.00 special assistance

2. Additionally, RWOs shall evaluate your application within 5 working days after submission of complete documents.

3. During the validation or verification process, OWWA Officers may call you through your contact details or FB account. Be ready to show the actual documents if so required.

4. If approved, the concerned DOLE regional Office shall release the Php10,000.00 through money remittance/ Peso Net.

Here are the actual documents I submitted:

Valid Passport.
Valid Passport
Proof of loss of employment on account of COVID-19 (Self undertaking)
Proof of loss of employment on account of COVID-19 (Self undertaking)
Proof of latest arrival in the Philippines (Arrival Stamp)
Proof of latest arrival in the Philippines (Arrival Stamp)
Proof of latest arrival in the Philippines (Flight Itinerary)
Proof of latest arrival in the Philippines (Flight Itinerary)
Proof of Overseas Employment (POEA Contract)
Proof of Overseas Employment (POEA Contract)

Record Added Successfully

After submitting those documents, I received a confirmation saying that my application was recorded successfully.

The next part is waiting for your cash assistance to be credited.

Your submission is successfully recorded.
Record added successfully!

After evaluation and approval from RWOs, the money is sent to the recipient via Palawan Express, MLhuillier, LBC or bank transfer.

Following Up Your Financial Assistance

A few days after I submitted my application, I received an email from OWWA verifying the documents I submitted. 

I attached the same files listed above and sent them back through their email.

DOLE AKAP Email regarding my follow up.
DOLE AKAP Email.

After resending my documents, I didn’t receive their email or SMS so I followed up by replying to the email.

Luckily, they responded with the tracking number of my cash assistance through MLhuillier.

DOLE-AKAP's email asking me to resend the requirements.
DOLE-AKAP-Follow-up

Another method of tracking your DOLE AKAP financial assistance is to head over to https://doleakaptracker.owwa.gov.ph/

Just fill out the required details and you will know at which stage is your application.

DOLE-AKAP Tracker Application Status Inquiry
DOLE AKAP Tracker Application Status Inquiry.

Some seafarers and OFWs already received their financial assistance from DOLE-AKAP.  Hope you receive your financial aid now, Kabayan

May the winds be in your favor.

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