DOLE-AKAP Application Ayuda Cash Assistance for OFWs

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), via the Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) has launched the DOLE-OWWA AKAP for OFWs (DOLE-AKAP), an initiative meant to offer financial assistance to land-based and sea-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were displaced or have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the program, DOLE is offering a one-time financial assistance amounting to US$200.00 (or Php 10,000.00) or its equivalent in local currency to all eligible active OWWA member OFWs who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic but are still stuck in their host countries. If you are one of them and you want to know how to avail of this cash assistance, then you may check out the rest of this article to learn about the DOLE-AKAP money and the requirements, qualifications, and procedures to claim it.

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What is OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs?

The OWWA DOLE-AKAP Financial Assistance Program for OFWs is an initiative launched by OWWA in an attempt to support the continuity of the original DOLE-AKAP program by DOLE. It is a testament to the government’s effort to support the advocacy of the Bayanihan to Heal as One-Act. It was launched in an effort to provide “ayuda (help)” to all eligible land-based and sea-based OFWs. The program offers a one-time cash aid amounting to US$200.00 to help tide over the basic needs of displaced or laid off OFWs who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

The DOLE-AKAP Program was created and specifically designed to offer assistance to OFWs in different countries in the form of additional funds for the OFWs. This special cash assistance is given to those who temporarily or permanently lost their jobs and are in urgent need of assistance due to unavailable support from their employer or the government of their host country.

It is important to note that the financial privileges offered by the DOLE-AKAP is not a loan, so there is no need to pay any amount back to OWWA once the Php 10,000.00 assistance was received. There is also no need to pay any fees when applying for this fee.

The DOLE-AKAP Program is not funded by the government or the OWWA Fund. Instead, the DOLE-AKAP funds, as well as all the other administrative expenses of the central and regional operations incurred in the implementation of the program, will be funded using the budget allocated for the DOLE COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (DOLE-CAMP) amounting to 1.5 billion pesos.

What countries will benefit from the DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs?

Some priority countries or territories for onsite OFWs who can benefit from the DOLE-AKAP Program include:

Australia
Brunei Darussalam
Canada
Cyprus
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Korea
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Macau
Malaysia
New Zealand
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
Singapore
Spain
Switzerland
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom of Great Britain
United States of America

What are the Benefits of OWWA DOLE-AKAP for OFWs?

The OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs come with privileges and benefits which include the following:

A no-commitment, one-time cash aid or “ayuda” amounting to US$200.00 to help land-based and sea-based OFWs who lost their jobs or were displaced due to COVID-19
Ability to apply for the financial assistance from any location via the online platform or through the POLO-OWWA offices
The ability to check the status of their application online via DOLE-AKAP Tracker Status Inquiry platform
Disbursement of cash aid straight to the grant qualifiers’ bank account or via money exchange centers or service providers like Palawan Express or MLhuillier

What are the Qualifications for OWWA DOLE-AKAP?

As far as the OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program is concerned, here’s a list of people who can avail the benefits of the program:

Documented OFWs, who satisfy the following:
- Have a valid passport
- Have an appropriate visa or permit to stay and work in the host country;
- Have had their contract of employment processed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW, formerly known as POEA) or the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
Active OWWA Members
- Who were once regular or documented employees but have since lost their regular or documented status due to some reason or cause;
- Who have not yet registered with the POEA or whose contracts have not yet been processed by the POEA or the POLO, but have taken measures to rectify their contracts or status;
Inactive OWWA Members
Qualified Undocumented OFWs
- Who are active Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) members at the time of availment but are not registered with the POEA or whose contracts were not processed by the POEA or the POLO.
Balik-Manggagawa workers
- Who are unable to return to their host country due to the lockdown or the Philippine’s Enhance Community Quarantine (ECQ)
- Balik-Manggagawa who are unable to return to their home country due to COVID19 lockdown at the host country.

Consequently, the following are ineligible to receive the DOLE-AKAP financial assistance:

Those who have received Php10,000.00 special cash assistance under the Special Financial Assistance to the Stranded OFWs due to the 2019 Novel CoronaVirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019 NCOV ARD);
Those who have received Php10,000.00 financial assistance under the original DOLE-AKAP Program;
Those whose employment contracts had expired; or
Those who had their employment contracts terminated for reasons other than the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the Requirements when applying for the DOLE-AKAP Program?

To apply for and get a chance to avail the privileges of the OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs, land-based and sea-based OFWs whose jobs were affected due to COVID-19 must prepare and submit the following documentary requirements:

Travel Documents, including
- Photocopy of passport
Proof of Overseas Employment, which can either be:
- Copy of valid Overseas Employment Contract (OEC);
- Balik Manggagawa (BM) Online Certificate (if, BM);
- Permit to remain in the receiving country,
- Residence I.D;
- Visa or Re-entry Visa;
Proof of Loss of Employment on account of COVID-19:
- Notice/Certificate of Termination of Employment by Employer or Foreign/Philippine Recruitment Agency; and/or
- “Sariling Sanaysay” on the Loss of Employment on Account of COVID-19, with valid I.D
- If no termination letter was issued, summary letter with cause of loss of employment due to COVID-19
- Notice of business closure issued by a Foreign Recruitment Agency or the principal/employer
- Incident report on job termination submitted by the employer to the POLO in question
- Philippine Embassy/Consulate/POLO/OWWA certification/referral of displacement due to COVID-19
Proof that the host country are on the list of those who are adversely impacted by COVID-19
Proof of Return to the Philippines (for ROF)
- Boarding Pass;
- Arrival stamp; and/or
- Airline Tickets
For stranded Balik Manggagawa workers, they must submit:
- Return ticket or Boarding Pass of last arrival to Philippines
- Valid Visa
Evidence that the OFW is actually interested in an ongoing lawsuit for OFWs who are undocumented through no fault of their own
- Case reference number
- Case endorsement stamped by POLO
Other documents as determined by the evaluating office.

How to Apply for the OWWA DOLE-AKAP for OFWs?

If you think you are qualified and you are interested in availing the benefits of the OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs, then here are the steps that you need to follow.

For those who intend to apply online:

OFWs who have returned to their home country and Balik-Manggagawa workers who have been repatriated to the Philippines, they can apply online for the DOLE-AKAP Program by following these steps:

Log into the DOLE-AKAP online aplication platform available via the following link: http://dole-akap.owwa.gov.ph.
Accomplish the online application form and press Next.
Using the appropriate buttons, attach and upload the following documentary requirements:
- Travel Documents, including
  - Photocopy of passport
- Proof of Overseas Employment, which can either be:
  - Copy of valid Overseas Employment Contract (OEC);
  - Balik Manggagawa (BM) Online Certificate (if, BM);
  - Permit to remain in the receiving country,
  - Residence I.D;
  - Visa or Re-entry Visa;
- Proof of Loss of Employment on account of COVID-19:
  - Notice/Certificate of Termination of Employment by Employer or Foreign/Philippine Recruitment Agency; and/or
  - “Sariling Sanaysay” on the Loss of Employment on Account of COVID-19, with valid I.D
  - If no termination letter was issued, summary letter with cause of loss of employment due to COVID-19
  - Notice of business closure issued by a Foreign Recruitment Agency or the principal/employer
  - Incident report on job termination submitted by the employer to the POLO in question
  - Philippine Embassy/Consulate/POLO/OWWA certification/referral of displacement due to COVID-19
- Proof that the host country are on the list of those who are adversely impacted by COVID-19
- Proof of Return to the Philippines (for ROF)
  - Boarding Pass;
  - Arrival stamp; and/or
  - Airline Tickets
- For stranded Balik Manggagawa workers, they must submit:
  - Return ticket or Boarding Pass of last arrival to Philippines
  - Valid Visa
- Others documents as may be determined by the evaluating office.
Press the “SUBMIT” button and acknowledge the confirmation prompt.
You should get a system-generated confirmation receipt.
You should also receive the confirmation receipt via your nominated e-mail address, along with a One-Time-Pin (OTP) that will serve as reference in monitoring the status of your application.
After you’ve submitted all of the required specifications, to see a confirmation prompt.
Wait for DOLE-OWWA to provide you with either of the following feedback:
- If the requirements are complete: and in order, the OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO) or POLO OWWA shall review and evaluate the application and submitted documents within 24-hours upon receipt of the application.
- If requirements are incomplete: the OWWA RWO will officially notify the applicant using the given e-mail address.
DOLE OWWA will also provide instructions on how to pick up your PHP 10,000 cash assistance.
The received applications with complete documentary requirements will then be evaluated by the concerned OWWA Regional Office via its OWWA Officers.
The OWWA Officers will contact the applicants via the contact information or Facebook accountthey have provided during the validation or verification of your documents. If at all possible, DOLE-AKAP applicants are expected to cooperate and be prepared to show the actual records.
All evaluated applications with approval shall be automatically encoded to the Beneficiary Availment Program (BAP) system by the OWWA RWOs.
The DOLE-OWWA AKAP online system of application will then send a notice of approval/disapproval through e-mail or SMS within 2-3 days of the evaluation.
For eligible beneficiaries: the DOLE-AKAP Online System shall send a notification via e-mail or SMS regarding the release of the financial assistance thru direct payment or Money Transfer.
All eligible beneficiaries of the program will then be expected to send all the required documents to the concerned DOLE Regional Office within five (5) working days for the approval and processing of the funds via money transfer or PESONet.

For Onsite OFW Applications

Onsite OFWs or those who are unable to go home after losing their jobs due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic may also apply for the DOLE-AKAP Program onsite via the POLO-OWWA branches near them.

To do so, they simply need to follow these steps:

Prepare the required documents which includes the following:
- Travel Documents, including
  - Photocopy of passport
- Proof of Overseas Employment, which can either be:
  - Copy of valid Overseas Employment Contract (OEC);
  - Balik Manggagawa (BM) Online Certificate (if, BM);
  - Permit to remain in the receiving country,
  - Residence I.D;
  - Visa or Re-entry Visa;
- Proof of Loss of Employment on account of COVID-19:
  - Notice/Certificate of Termination of Employment by Employer or Foreign/Philippine Recruitment Agency; and/or
  - “Sariling Sanaysay” on the Loss of Employment on Account of COVID-19, with valid I.D
  - If no termination letter was issued, summary letter with cause of loss of employment due to COVID-19
  - Notice of business closure issued by a Foreign Recruitment Agency or the principal/employer
  - Incident report on job termination submitted by the employer to the POLO in question
  - Philippine Embassy/Consulate/POLO/OWWA certification/referral of displacement due to COVID-19
- Proof that the host country are on the list of those who are adversely impacted by COVID-19
- Proof of Return to the Philippines (for ROF)
  - Boarding Pass;
  - Arrival stamp; and/or
  - Airline Tickets
- For stranded Balik Manggagawa workers, they must submit:
  - Return ticket or Boarding Pass of last arrival to Philippines
  - Valid Visa
- Others documents as may be determined by the evaluating office.
Send the complete documentary requirement to the concerned POLOs.
Within five (5) working days after the POLO receives the complete documentation, the designated POLO Officers/staff will review the application and notify the OFWs about the status of their application.
If the DOLE-AKAP application is accepted and approved, the concerned POLO will submit the USD 200.00 and initiate the processing of the bank transfer or money transfer for the eligible beneficiaries

DOLE-AKAP Application Form

To apply for the program, simply visit the DOLE-AKAP portal at https://dole-akap.owwa.gov.ph and fill out the application form online.

The form can be completed in just a few minutes, and you will need to provide some basic personal information as well as your contact details.

Once you have submitted the form, you will be contacted by a representative from the DOLE-AKAP program who will provide further instructions on how to receive the financial assistance.

DOLE-AKAP Tracker Status Inquiry online

The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) online tracker status inquiry system is a convenient way for workers to check the status of their DOLE AKAP applications for assistance.

OFW applicants can access the status tracker thru the URL – — https://doleakaptracker.owwa.gov.ph/

Once an application has been located, workers can view the current status of their application and any messages that have been left by the case officer.

Important Reminders

If you are availing the financial assistance offered by the OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program, then please be reminded of the following DOLE-AKAP guidelines in order to successfully get the assistance.

The applicants must lose their job as a result of COViD-19-related lockdowns, neighborhood quarantines, or other measures.
The applicants must either be on the job site, or in the Philippines as a worker who was never returned to the job site because of COVID-19, or repatriated to the Philippines because of COVID-19.
Applicants must not accept a salary or financial benefit from an employer, or be unable to receive assistance from the government of the country of employment because of COVID-19.
The DOLE-AKAP applications may be sent online if the applicant has been stranded in the Philippines due to the lockdown resulting from COVID-19.
OFWs who were displaced or laid off due to COVID-19 and could not go home may send their DOLE-AKAP applications onsite, via the POLO branches near them.
If the applicant has tested positive for COVID-19, they should not have received any OWWA financial assistance to qualify for the DOLE-AKAP Program.
There is no need to download the DOLE-AKAP Application Form before filling it out. Simply visit the DOLE-AKAP portal at https://dole-akap.owwa.gov.ph and accomplish the form.
Seafarers may also apply for the DOLE AKAP assistance. They simply need to follow the same application procedure and submit all the required documents.
To ensure that you will receive the confirmation receipt of your application and all other communication about the status of your application via email, make sure you provide a valid email address on the application form.

OWWA DOLE-AKAP Application Tutorial and Feedback in Video

This Youtube video tutorial uploaded by Joy & K Brothers Club shared the complete procedure and their experience in applying for the OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs.

Watch and see the process for yourself here:

In this video from Youtuber Darwanderer TV, let us learn more about the DOLE-AKAP Program and all the other details associated with this “ayuda” project.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I am applying for the OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program and have submitted all my requirements at the concerned POLO. How would I know that they have indeed received my application?

POLO-OWWA will send you a confirmation or acknowledgement receipt via email to prove that they have indeed received your application and that they will begin the process of verifying the documents you have sent. To receive this along with all other messages regarding the state of your DOLE-AKAP application, you need to make sure that the email address you provided during the application is correct and able to receive messages.

2. How soon will the DOLE-AKAP financial aid be allocated to the eligible program qualifiers?

The concerned POLO-OWWA office will initiate the process within five (5) working das after the application approval is released, however, there is no definite time frame and no way to tell how soon the funds will be disbursed or transferred via bank or through the money exchange centers or service providers. Some OFWs who have received the assistance say it takes about 2-3 months for the process to complete so OFW applicants are advised to exercise patience in waiting for the updates.

Note that the transfer may be further delayed with any error in the information so make sure to double-check that you are giving the correct remittance information upon application. Once the DOLE sends the funds to POLO or OWWA RWOs, the financial assistance will be released.

3. Will all applicants receive the Php 10,000.00 financial assistance?

Maybe. If the OFWs applying for the DOLE-AKAP Program are all qualified and they submitted the required documents while the funds are still available, then it is highly likely that they will be eligible for the DOLE-AKAP financial assistance. After all, there is no guarantee that all applicants will be granted with this “ayuda” since the release is highly dependent on the availability of funds.

4. How do I check the status of my DOLE-AKAP application?

OFWs who applied and wish to check the status of their DOLE-AKAP program application may use the online platform called DOLE-AKAP Tracker Status Inquiry online. They simply need to enter their application details to see the status of their request (On queue, pending/denied, approved, and released).

If the application is tagged as ON QUEUE in the DOLE-AKAP Tracker, it means the application is yet to be evaluated so you simpy need to wait.
If the application says PENDING/DENIED, you may want to reach out to DOLE-AKAP through their communication channels or contact the DOLE-AKAP Contact Center for more information.
If the application says APPROVED, it means that it is currently being processed for endorsement to DOLE. You simply need to wait until the status changes to RELEASED if you wish to follow up on it.
If the status says RELEASED, then you’d want to secure your reference code from the DOLE-AKAP team via the nearest OWWA Regional Office or POLO-OWWA branch.

5. How long does it take to process the DOLE-AKAP application?

From the time that the application is received to the evaluation and review of the submitted documents up until the processing and validation of the requirements, the whole process can take up to ten (10) working days in total.

6. I have some questions regarding the DOLE-AKAP Program. Who should I reach out to?

For any concerns or inquiries regarding the DOLE-AKAP Program, it is best to contact the designated POLO-OWWA branch or reach out to DOLE-OWWA via the OWWA RWOs. Uou may also reach out to the DOLE-AKAP Hotline (by calling 1348) or contact OWWA directly.

Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA)

Office Address: F.B. Harrison St, Pasay, Metro Manila

Tel. No.: 8891-7601 to 24

OWWA hotline number: 1348, (02) 1348 (Regional), (+632) 1348 (International)

OWWA Email Address: owwacares@owwa.gov.ph, commandcenter@dole.gov.ph

OWWA Facebook page: https://web.facebook.com/OWWAofficial

OWWA website: https://owwa.gov.ph/

The OWWA 24/7 Operations Center is also available for you to reach out to. Their office is located at: OWWA Building, 7th corner F.B. Harrison Sts., Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The OWWA 24/7 Contact Center can also be contacted through the following contact information:

Landline: (+632)833-OWWA or (+632)833-6992

Globe Hotline: 2917 (Press “3” for OWWA)

Mobile/SMS text messaging: (0917)TXT-OWWA or (0917)898-6992

Facsimile: +63-2-8040638

Email address: opcenter@owwa.gov.ph/ owwa_opcenter@yahoo.com

Summary

The OWWA DOLE-AKAP Program for OFWs, like any other OWWA Program, is the Philippine government’s attempt to provide support to overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) especially in the face of trying times like the recent global health crisis. The program offers cash aid to its beneficiaries, regardless if they are affected with COVID-19 while working abroad, or in the Philippines as Balik-Manggagawa, or have already returned to the Philippines and have not received any salary from their employers.

The program is managed by the POLOs and OWWA, as well as DOLE offices, and these agencies are in charge of all the details regarding the processing and approval of applications for this OFW cash assistance program.

Contact Information

For OFWs who want to inquire about the OWWA AKAP ‘ayuda’ program, you may direct your questions to:

OWWA AKAP Hotline – 1348

OWWA-NCR Hotline – 09666250016

OWWA Reintegration Unit – 8834-0719