DMW: 3 OFWs in Taiwan treated for minor injuries

TEMPORARY SHELTER Quake victims in Taiwan stay in a tent at a temporary reception area in Hualien, after a quake killed nine people and injured over 1,000. Three Filipinos have been treated for minor injuries with no fatalities reported so far, according to the Department of Migrant Workers. —AFP

At least three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were treated for minor injuries in hospitals after a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Two of them, however, were discharged on the same day while the third one would remain confined for further observation.

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“There are three reported injuries, no fatalities, no major injuries to Filipinos and we hope it stays that way,” DMW officer in charge Hans Cacdac said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Two of the injured OFWs work in Taoyuan City. One was hit in the head by falling debris from the ceiling. The other fainted after the earthquake “probably from stress” and remains in the hospital for “medical precautionary measures,” according to Cacdac.

The third OFW works in Yilan county which is adjacent to Hualien county, the epicenter of the earthquake. The victim slammed into a door during evacuation, leaving both hands swollen, Cacdac said.

Citing data from the Taiwan Ministry of Labor, the DMW said there were 159,480 Filipinos in Taiwan, 150,666 of them OFWs.

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Cacdac added they were also confirming reports that some Filipino tourists were affected by the earthquake.

At a press briefing on Thursday, the Social Security System (SSS) said it was planning to offer calamity loans to members in Taiwan—the first time the loans would be offered to members abroad.

According to SSS President and CEO Rolando Macasaet, he will first seek authority from SSS commissioners, adding that he expects “99 percent” of them to support the move.

“Just wait for the announcement,” Macasaet said. “I’ve already asked management to prepare a recommendation. I’ve already advised [Finance Secretary Ralph Recto]. I ensure that the members of the commission will be more than glad to approve that,” he added.

SSS to offer loans

Under the pension fund’s calamity loan program, members living in areas affected by a calamity can get a loan equivalent to one month salary credit, with the computation based on the average of their last 12 monthly salary credits and rounded up to the nearest thousand or the amount they applied for, whichever is lower.

The loan is payable in equal monthly installments for 24 months or two years. It has an interest rate of 10 percent per annum, and the service fee of 1 percent of the loan amount will be waived.

The first loan amortization will start on the second month following the date of the loan’s approval.

Based on figures, the SSS has 10,000 regularly paying members in Taiwan