BACOLOD City – Local officials here asked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for an “expeditious” release of payments to hotels that housed returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who had to undergo quarantine.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, together with councilors Renecito Novero and Israel Salanga, wrote a joint letter to OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac.
“To prevent what we fear, we are earnestly requesting for an expeditious release of payments to our hotel owners,” read part of their letter.
Cong. Greg Gasataya earlier revealed that OWWA made an initial payment of P10 million to various hotels in this city.
He also disclosed that OWWA still has P25-million unpaid bills and the agency vowed to pay this week.
OWWA’s financial obligations, however, worried hotels owners, according to Leonardia, saying the lack of money to pay their electric and water bills, their workers and their suppliers of food might lead them to cease operation.
Salanga, chair of the Action Team on Returning OFWs, also warned of the possibility that hotels will no longer accommodate OFWs.
“This will provide enough breathing space for everyone and for everything involved in this arduous but noble endeavor,” the three officials said in their joint letter.
Apart from urging OWWA to pay unsettled bills, they also appealed for another two-week moratorium on the return of OFWs.
According to them, uncontrolled number and the indiscriminate frequency of OFWs returning to the city will possibly exceed the available hotel facilities.
“This will also injudiciously exhaust the local workers. Should that happen, the safety of the whole city will be in jeopardy,” the three officials pointed out.
To recall, OWWA Region 6 director Rizza Moldes approved the travel ban for returning OFWs in this city effective Aug. 3 to 9./PN
