DMW vows tighter fund controls amid CoA flags

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday it would comply with the Commission on Audit’s (CoA) recommendations to strengthen financial controls and procedures governing assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency welcomed the recommendations, particularly those concerning the evaluation of OFWs applying for financial assistance.

“We will abide by the recommendations of the CoA,” Cacdac said, stressing that the audit findings should not automatically be construed as evidence of corruption or irregularities within the agency.

“These are just continuing process improvements, financial controls and safeguards that we continue to implement,” he added.

Cacdac said the DMW received an unqualified audit opinion from CoA for fiscal year 2025, indicating that its financial statements were fairly presented in accordance with applicable accounting standards.

The DMW chief clarified that only about 8 percent of the agency’s budget was covered by the audit observations.

Cacdac said the DMW had already responded to the findings raised in July and undergone the usual audit and post-audit exchanges with CoA.