Cotabato city: The families of overseas Bangsamoro workers (OBWs) who passed away while employed abroad were recipients of financial grants from the Ministry of Labor and Employment in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

According to Philippines News Agency, twenty beneficiaries received assistance via the Social Benefits Program (SBP) during a distribution event at the MOLE regional office within the Bangsamoro government center. Among the beneficiaries were seven immediate relatives of deceased OBWs who were awarded natural death and burial benefits, as stated by BARMM Labor Minister Muslimin Sema.

Each recipient was granted PHP90,000 in death benefits along with an additional PHP30,000 for burial assistance, resulting in a total of PHP120,000 per beneficiary. Minister Sema also mentioned that 13 OBWs with work-related disabilities were provided PHP50,000 for temporary disability and PHP100,000 for permanent disability. This assistance falls under the MOLE disability and dismemberment benefits program.

Minister Sema emphasized that the SBP, managed by the Overseas Workers Welfare Bureau, is committed to safeguarding the dignity of OBWs, ensuring their sacrifices are acknowledged, and that no family is left in need.