OWWA, the Philippines overseas workers' administration, has confirmed the identities of 6 Filipino workers who died in a recent terrorists attack in Yemen.
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| PH deployment ban in Yemen: A terrorist attack has left seven OFWs dead. |
OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon identified the six slain overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as Dr. Ruben Valenzuela, Hezel Pueblos-Abalos, Edward Anthony de Guzman, Marivic Corilla Bandenas, Marian David and Aurora Gormate Yumul.
The victims’ families were already informed of the benefits accorded to them being documented workers in Yemen.
Dimzon also said that the families were also told that they are already working out on the repatriation of the victims’ remains but could not give further details on the exact date of the arrival because of the tight December booking.
Dimzon, however, did give any comment on the seventh female nurse victim who was also killed in the attack.
Dimzon said they are still coordinating with Yemen authorities to give them pertinent documents so that they could also inform the family of the victim.
The OWWA administrator added the agency has no record with them on the seventh victim neither with the Philippine Overseas Employment and Administration (POEA).
According to Dimzon, she admitted that out of 1,500 OFWs in Yemen, only 900 of them were documented and members of the agency. She said that together with the other agencies, they have already sent a team in Yemen to meet the OFWs who wanted a voluntary repatriation.
Earlier, OWWA announced that aside from the assistance of bringing back the victims’ bodies in the country, they also assured the victims’ families that death and burial benefits in the amount of P220,000 will also be given.
In addition, Dimzon said that the families of the OFW victims are also eligible to avail of the agency’s Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP).
She explained that ELAP is a scholarship grant for qualified dependents of active OWWA members (if married, son or daughter; if single, brother or sister) as well as P15,000 livelihood assistance to the surviving spouse/parent. --Source: Tempo