The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has been allocated P1.2 billion for emergency repatriation this year to expand assistance to Filipinos working overseas, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Monday.

During a press briefing in Malacañang, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the emergency repatriation fund for OWWA increased to P1.286 billion for 2026. He added that another P942 million was allotted for the “Alagang OWWA” program.

Olalia said part of the “Alagang OWWA” budget will support overseas Filipino worker (OFW) caravans, which bring government services closer to Filipinos abroad through a whole-of-government approach involving at least 15 agencies.

As of November 2025, Olalia said the OFW caravans assisted 63,161 Filipinos overseas, resulting in 145,807 government transactions, particularly in the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

He added that ongoing caravans are being conducted in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, led by DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

OWWA’s total budget for 2026 reached P4.2 billion, a 26 percent increase from last year’s P3.4 billion allocation, Olalia said.

Meanwhile, the DMW’s overall budget for 2026 stands at P11.7 billion.

Olalia also reported that under the government’s repatriation assistance programs, the DMW extended support to 3,723 OFWs who were victims of online scams and illegal recruitment activities in Cambodia and Myanmar.