OWWA asks for P12-B supplemental budget to boost reintegration for returning OFWs

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is asking for additional funding to strenghten its reintegration initiatives for repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East.

OWWA Deputy Administrator Jamine Ann Gapatan said that the agency has requested for a P12 billion supplemental budget.

"We could do so much more if we had more. Kaya po kami ay nag-request sa DBM [Department of Budget and Management] at sa ating kongreso at senado ng supplementary budget at P12 billion," Gapatan said in a press briefing at the OWWA central office in Pasay City on Monday.

"Ito po ay composed of P9 billion na additional po para sa emergency repatriation fund. Dahil po sa aming pagsi-simulate, 2.5 percent of the 2.4 million OFWs or around P60,000 na kailangan po ng at least P9 billion para po sa kanilang pagbabalik, pagbili po ng ticket, repatriation costs, and post-repatriation assistance and immediate special financial assistance. At yung P3 billion naman po gusto po namin na maka-focus po sa integration programs po," she added.

Apart from its core programs, OWWA is also strengthening its reintegration program that is more concrete and meaningful for the OFWs.

"So we are doing not only at the livelihood step-up program but also education. Kung gusto po mag-aral ulit ng ating OFWs meron po nakaamba na mga memorandum of agreements with the Commission on Higher Education and the University of the Philippines (open university)," Gapatan said.

"Gusto po namin na mag-explore yan, kung gusto mag-aral ng ating OFWs. With TESDA [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority], gusto po nila ng tech-voc training, upskilling and reskilling. Meron din tayong programa ng upgrading ng skills ng ating mga seafarers," the OWWA official added.

Currently, the government–by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and OWWA–has repatriated a total of 6,532 OFWs and their dependents.

"So out of the 6,532 repatriated OFWs at kanilang mga anak, ang OWWA ay nakapag-sponsor ng 3,258 or close to 50 percent ng ating mga OFWs at kanilang mga dependents," OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne "PY" Caunan said.

Caunan also said that almost 50 percent of the repatriated OFWs and their dependents are OWWA's sponsored flights.

The OWWA administrator explained that onsite assistance, repatriation assistance, as well as post-repatriation assistance are all funded by the agency's emergency repatriation fund.

"We have already utilized 55 percent of the allocation for this year when it comes to the emergency repatriation fund," Caunan said.

"Nasa 55 percent na ang utilization ng OWWA. At dahil diyan, humingi po tayo ng additional budget or supplementary budget sa Department of Budget and Management," she added.