The government has released P84.48-million worth of assistance to overseas Filipino workers who were displaced due to coronavirus disease outbreak.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the total amount released as of 7am, March 2, was P84,480,000 covering 8,448 OFWs.

He said most of them were from Hong Kong, and then Macau, China, and Taiwan where travel ban was implemented for a brief period.

Cacdac said OWWA also provided P10,000 financial assistance to each returned M/V Diamond Princess seafarer from Yokohama, Japan.

"For those who wish to permanently stay, so there will be a 20,000 peso livelihood grant on top of the financial assistance provided for those who wish to permanently stay in the Philippines," he said.

In Macau, Cacdac said some of the OFWs have been placed on forced leave.

"But the Consulate Generals’ Office and the POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor and Office), OWWA welfare officer, there are in close touch with Macau Ministry of Labor and the Macau Ministry of Labor is fully aware of the situation and the Macau Ministry of Labor has been guiding the companies - the rights of the workers under Macau law, as well as the rights of the employers under Macau law," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS