Owwa 7 open till 9 p.m., on weekends

THE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) 7 has extended its office hours to 9 p.m. to attend to the needs of relatives of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in conflict areas in the Middle East.

Relatives can also call or text the office hotline (09189214925), said Rey Jacalan, Owwa designated officer.

“We also offer free overseas phone calls to families of OFWs in Libya. This is for those who cannot afford to make long-distance calls,” he said.

Assistance

Jacalan, officer-in-charge of programs and services division, told Sun.Star Cebu they are extending this assistance specifically to families of OFWs in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen.

The extended office hours took effect last Feb. 26, when local and international media outlets reported news of political unrest in these three countries.

The office is also open on Saturday and Sunday.

Jacalan corrected an earlier report that they made arrangements to get Winston Enriquez Fernandez, an OFW, out of the danger zone in Libya to the Egyptian border.

Clarification

Jacalan clarified it was not Owwa, but Fernandez’s employer, the SNC Lavalin, that rescued him.

The Owwa 7 office, which is in the LDM building at the corner of M.J. Cuenco and Legaspi Streets, Cebu City, is the lead agency tasked to promote the welfare and well-being of OFWs and their families.