HIV-afflicted OFWs to get benefits soon

Filipino migrant workers infected with the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and those already afflicted with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) may soon be entitled to benefits from the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA), said Labour Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas.

Santo Tomas, who sits as Chairman of the OWWA Board of Trustees, yesterday said talks are underway among the board members to recognise the plight of the overseas Filipino workers who are returning home, burdened with diseases or have become disabled.

"The OWWA board is planning to remove the small grants it is giving to distressed member-workers, which seems to be like dole outs.

"Instead of consolidating these benefits, we are trying to make them more substantial. The benefits to be given to workers with HIV or AIDS would be included in the disability benefits," says the Labour chief.

Figures from the Department of Health (DOH) recently showed, out of 1,565 people who have registered to be positive with HIV, about 27 per cent or 422 are said to be sea-farers.

Because of the highly-mobile nature of their work, sea-based workers are said to be most prone to acquiring HIV compared to the land-based workers.

To prevent the number of HIV and AIDS cases to escalate, Santo Tomas added she has asked the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to prepare an education module "to instruct the sea-farers on how they can protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases."

This anti-AIDS instruction module will be incorporated in the pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS), a special education course that every OFW is required to undergo before they leave for jobs abroad.

The OWWA board is currently studying the various benefits it is providing to workers, seeing the need to restructure its services. There have been cases wherein Filipino workers are deprived of receiving any support from the welfare fund. Such is the case of one worker who lost a kidney but was denied assistance.

Among the programmes the OWWA renders to its members are for death, medical, scholarship and livelihood assistance.

"We have to re-think our policy. You don't have to die to receive benefits. We have to improve the benefit package," she said.