The Covid-19 pandemic hit us hard, regardless of where you are in the world. But one of the groups who were heavily affected was you, overseas Filipino workers.
The reality is there is a threat of losing your job because the company you’re working for sustained heavy financial losses and may have to downsize. You cannot get side jobs for additional income because people need money for themselves as well. There are also a lot of OFWs who had no choice but to be repatriated.
What is the government’s response to the burden carried out by thousands of OFWs? DOLE-AKAP program.
What is DOLE-AKAP for OFWs?
This program of the Department of Labor and Employment is intended for displaced OFWs as a result of Covid-19. Its main purpose is to provide one-time financial assistance of USD 200.00 or P10,000 or its equivalent to the local currency where the OFW is currently located.
This is part of DOLE’s Covid-19 Adjustment Measure Program or CAMP amounting to P1.5 billion.
DOLE-AKAP covers:
- Regular or Documented Workers – these are OFWs with valid passport, has appropriate visa or permit to work in the receiving country, and has Contract of Employment processed by POEA or POLO.
- Qualified, Undocumented Workers – these are OFWs originally regular or documented workers but lost their status for some reason, OR whose contracts were not processed by POEA or POLO but have taken actions to regularize their contracts and status, OR active OWWA members at the time of the availment.
- Balik Manggagawa – these are OFWs who are unable to return to their host country due to Covid-19.
What are the qualifications?
- Worker must experience job displacement due to the receiving country’s lockdown or quarantine policies.
- Worker was infected by Covid-19.
- Must still be in the overseas jobsite and currently experiencing “no work, no pay,” or in the Philippines as Balik-Manggagawa, or already repatriated in the country
- Has not yet received any financial support or assistance from employer or receiving country
How to Apply For DOLE-AKAP?
If you are still onsite / in the country where you are currently working –
Make sure you coordinate with your respective POLO. Each POLO has respective downloaded application forms. Once you secured a copy, fill it up and submit with it the following documents:
- Copy of passport or travel document
- Proof of overseas employment like work visa, residence ID, or OEC
- Proof of loss of employment on the account of Covid-19
- Proof that you are currently regularizing your worker status
POLO will evaluate your application within five working days. If approved, concerned POLO will release USD 200 through bank transfer or money remittance.
If you were repatriated / Balik-Manggagawa –
Step 1: Visit DOLE-AKAP online. You can access it by clicking here.
Step 2: Fill out the necessary information. Then click Next.
Step 3: Upload the following documents:
- Passport or Travel Document
- Flight ticket, boarding pass, or arrival stamp sticker on your passport. This serves as evidence that you returned to the Philippines.
- Proof of overseas employment such as work visa, OEC, or Permit to Stay
- Proof of loss employment due to Covid-19 or that the receiving country are included in the list of heavily-affected countries such as Notice of Termination of Employment, closure of the company issued by foreign recruitment agency or employer, Incident Report on termination of employment submitted to respective POLO, or Certification of Displacement issued by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate or POLO
- For undocumented workers, upload proof of your intention to regularize your stay in the host country such as work visa, employment contract, and payslip.
Step 4: Once uploaded, click Submit. A confirmation prompt will appear.
Step 5: Check your email for the system-generated confirmation receipt. Take note of this.
Step 6: OWWA officers will review your application. They will contact you so make sure you have all the necessary documents on hand. Once approved, your application will be submitted to the DOLE Regional Office concerned.
Step 7: The cash aid will be transferred to your account within five working days.
As of this writing, 86,000 OFWs, both in and out of the Philippines, were given cash aid by the agency. The agency is currently targetting up to 150,000 overseas Filipino workers who were affected by the pandemic.
April 20 2020 nag apply na po ako diyan sa OWWA DOLE AKAP Pero hanggang ngayon po wala.pa ko nata2nggap na tawag o txt man lang..malaking tulong sakin yung 10k na makuha kaso wla pa din sana matulungan niyo ko..
Hello Christian! You can follow this up with DOLE to check the status of your application.
Ng email ako sa akap dole.. Last April but until now wala akong natatanggap na email Kung aprrove o hindi.
Hello Cielo! There could be delay on the part of DOLE. You may send a follow up again to check the status of your application.
Still no evaluation about my application
Hi Jeaneth. It’s possible that DOLE or OWWA is still reviewing your application. You can call them for follow-up.
Ako din ng fill up wla response. Then I called their number sabi nkapag liquidate na sila.. Waiting pa for next approval ng request nila kung magbibigay pa. In short may limit ang pagbibigay nila hndi lahat mabibigyan kahit qualified kapa..
Hi Zarah. Unfortunately, may posibilidad na hindi po mabigyan ang lahat ng applicants.
Ako nag pasa nong june 24 still waiting parin po.😂😂😂
Hi Vilma. We’re sorry to hear about this. Mabuti po na i-follow up narin sa DOLE dahil sila ang mas nakakaalam ng status ng inyong application.
paano nmn poh ung ns ibang bansa n my sariling visa pero no work no pay dn,at hng ngayon wl prn trabaho
Hello Analyn! You can apply sa POLO for the cash assistance.
pano naman po ang mga ofw na binawasan ng kalahati ang mga sweldo at di makauwi dahil sa pandemya – qualified po ba sila sa DOLE-AKAP?
Hello Abbey. You may coordinate with POLO regarding this 🙂
Paano naman po ung na pending on process na ung contract at visa dahil sa lockdown nagsarado ang agency so dna nakaalis wala tuloy inasahan ng trabaho diba isa dn un affected ng covid
Hello Orly. Unfortunately, hindi po kasama sa coverage ang mga workers na nasa ganyan situation. You can also check with your barangay regarding cash assistance programs of the government. Salamat.
Mam, pwede po ba akong mag apply Di po ako na terminate pero pinauwi po ako Ng 4 months pero Wala po akong sahod Ng 2 months. dumating po ako Dito nuong April 1 pa, pero stranded parin po ako until now. Balik po ako SA HK SA July 31, pero mukhang Malabo po.
Hello Zenie! Yes, the program is open po for all documented OFWs.
im interested to apply loan
Hello Kevin! The DOLE-AKAP program is a financial assistance for OFWs 🙂
Hanggang ngayon po wala pa akong natatanggap na tulong galing OWWA, OFW po ako umuwi nung Marso at nakatakdang Bumalik Sana nung Mayo 9 pero dahil po sa Covid di ako nakalipad ,may tulong po ba kayo para sa gaya ko.
Hello Delza! We’re sorry to hear about this. Nakapag-follow up po ba kayo sa DOLE?
I called Dole and they said na wala ng pondo until april lang daw yung nag karoon ng cash assistance,,, ofw applicants for akap from May onwards nganga lang ganun lang ba yun grabe naman government nayin sa aming mga ofw landbased and seabased
Hi Mel. We’re sorry to hear about this. Sadly, this is the government’s prerogative.
July po ako nakauwi nakarecieve nman po ako ng cash assistance nila
Gd day, nag apply ako s dole akap last May 08, 2020 pa at successful nman at for evaluation pa dw, pero until now wala lng txt or email s akin Hindi k Alam lng approved or dis approved Yong application ko. Tnx.
Hello Jacob! You may contact DOLE to ask for the status of your application 🙂
Nag hanap kasi ako nito matagal na sa online wla na po ngayon ay dito sa blog na Ito ay naka pag fill out ako eh july na , acceptable pakaya yon sa dole.akap?
Hello Maricel! Pwede parin naman. Nakapag-follow up po kayo sa DOLE sa status ng inyong application?
until now … wala ako natangap na ayuda sa gov’t natin
sss dole-akap sap pilipino naman ako kahit isa wala apektado rin naman ako ng pandemia ito hoy gov’t gising
Hello Renato. Ikinalulungkot po namin ito. Maaari din po kasi na wala na pong pondo kaya hindi po mabigyan ng DOLE ang lahat ng OFWs.
Nag email ako s dole akap last june 18,2020 until now wla response apat n email nila ung sinendan ko bat ganyan sila sten. 3months s saudi no work no pay kmi halos nanlilimos n kmi doon tas pagdating dtu s pinas wla dn programa smen. Kaganda ganda ng palabas nyu. Stv tungkol smen ofw bakit s tunay n buhay wla kau naitulong smen
Hello Melandro. We’re sorry to hear about this. As much as gustong bigyan ng ahensya ang lahat ng OFWs, kailangan din isaalang-alang ang budget na ibinigay kaya maaaring hindi lahat ay makakatanggap.
Nung june pako nag pasa ng complete requirements pero hanggang ngayon december na wala pa din paramdam ang dole.
Hi Jess! Naitawag niyo na po ba ito sa DOLE for follow up?