Further to the Embassy Advisory on the Guideline and Supplemental Information on the DOLE-AKAP for OFWs who are displaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy wishes to share with the Filipino community in South Korea the following POLO update on the program as of 27 April 2020, for information:

The first DOLE AKAP grantee in Korea with Philippine Embassy Charge d'Affaires a.i. Christian L. de Jesus, Labor Attache Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama and POLO OWWA Korea officers and staff1. As of 27 April, a total of 251 DOLE AKAP applications from OFWs in South Korea have been approved by POLO Korea of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, ninety one percent (91%) of which have been actually received by the grantees.

2. POLO Korea continues to accept applications from workers who have lost their jobs, either permanently or temporarily, due to COVID-19. Please refer to earlier Embassy and POLO advisories on the guidelines and application procedures.

3. Please note that OFWs who arrived in Korea, and who underwent the 14-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival here and, thus, were unable to immediately work, are also eligible to apply for DOLE-AKAP assistance.

4. Please be advised that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) headed by Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has been granted only Php1.5 billion allocation for the implementation of DOLE-AKAP for OFWs through the different POLOs and OWWA.

As the program is budget dependent, POLO Korea shall thus be accepting and processing applications for DOLE-AKAP only up to the limit it is authorized by DOLE, and subject to availability of funds.

Salamat po sa inyong tiwala sa ating pamahalaan, at sa patuloy ninyong kooperasyon at pag-iingat sa gitna ng COVID-19 situation. END