OFW finds new hope in OWWA’s Balik
Pinas, Balik Hanap Buhay Program
By Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) - Four months into the job as a house help in
foreign land Qatar without salaries and deprived of medical assistance, Vanessa
Alcantara can still vividly recall her dreadful plight when she ran away from
her former employer and sought shelter at the Philippine embassy.
Alcantara
was no neophyte as an OFW. She first worked as a domestic helper in the State
of Kuwait in 2008 to 2010. After finishing her two-year contract, she went back
to the Philippines.
In
2014, this single mom who hails from Isabela City, Basilan Province and a
mother to four children, again worked as household help, this time, in Qatar
where she has to stand working without salaries.
Vanessa
recounted, her former employer withheld her salaries for four agonizing months
for reasons she did not know and even denied her of medical benefits. She had
to pay for her own food and other basic necessities. This situation prompted
her to run away from her employer and braved her way to the Philippine embassy
where she found solace from her misery.
When
in the embassy, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) took care of
her and helped her get back to the Philippines. Vanessa was grateful for OWWA’s
assistance from the time she was at the embassy until her return in Zamboanga
City.
New Hope thru Balik
Pinas, Balik Hanap Buhay Program
Left
with four children to take care of, Vanessa sought the help of OWWA IX by
availing the Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay (BP-BH) Program, a livelihood
assistance for displaced/distressed OFWs .
In
November 2015, Vanessa was granted her starter kit to help her start anew. She
was among the 30 OFWs who were granted P10,000 worth of starter kits.
Karen Claire
Q. Grafia, Labor Communication Officer-OWWA proudly shared Vanesa’s success
story saying “Vanessa
initiated her chosen enterprise. As she had prior training and knowledge on
baking pastries and meat products, Vanessa began her small-scale business by
selling home-made chorizo and cakes.”
“She
earns her income by accepting orders from her customers in nearby barangays of
Isabela City and Zamboanga City. Through this, she is now able to support her
children’s education and daily needs without having to go back abroad.”
Vanessa also took part in the training conducted by OWWA on
Financial Literacy Course. This is to educate her and the rest of the
beneficiaries on the proper management
of money, ways and means to earn and invest as well as donate it to help
others.
What is Balik Pinas,
Balik Hanap Buhay Program?
“Balik Pinas! Balik Hanapbuhay!” Program is one-time-availment, non-cash, livelihood assistance intended
to provide immediate relief to returning OFWs who were displaced from their
jobs due to wars/political conflicts in their host countries, or were
maltreated, or victimized by human trafficking or other distressful situations.
It is a package of livelihood assistance amounting to P10
thousand consisting of techno-skills and/or entrepreneurship trainings, starter
kits/goods and/or such other services that will enable beneficiaries to quickly
start a livelihood undertaking.
The program aims to enable the beneficiaries to be multi-skilled
through access to training services by training institutions like TESDA, DTI,
and NGOs.
It also equips the
beneficiaries with skills that are highly in demand in the local labor market
and enables them to plan, set-up, start and operate a livelihood undertaking by
providing them with ready-to-go rollout self-employment package of services,
consisting of short-duration trainings, start-up kits/goods business counseling
and technical and marketing assistance.
