The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has set aside Ph1.36 billion ($27mn) this year to run various programs and projects for the estimated 2.4 million Filipinos working abroad, OWWA Administrator Han Leo J. Cacdac said.
The amount is some 65 percent of the Ph2.193 billion that the OWWA Board of Trustees has approved for 2017, which by itself, is 16 percent more than the 2016 budget and the highest so far in the government agency’s history, according to Cacdac.
“Ikinalulugod ko pong ihandog ang approved P2.193bn OWWA budget para po sa 2017,” Cacdac said in his Facebook page. “Siksik po ito sa mga serbisyo para sa mga mahal nating OFs at ang kanilang mga pamilya,” he added.
“Mas malaki pong bahagi ng budget (62%) ay para sa pagpapatakbo ng mga programa, proyekto, at mga activities para sa mga OFs at ang kanilang mga pamilya. At 35% lang po ang gugugulin para sa mga sweldo at benepisyo ng mga empleyado ng OWWA. Ang naiwan na 3% ay para sa “capital outlay” o pondo para sa pagbili ng mga pangmatagalan na kagamitan,” Cacdac further said.
He said this is also the first time that a portion of the OWWA budget would be coming from Congress, which is Ph413 million from the General Appropriations Act to be spent on the government agency’s employees’ benefits and salaries for June to December. (Jojo Dass)
