The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has been granted a significantly higher budget for 2026 to strengthen assistance and emergency repatriation services for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced.
According to DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, OWWA’s emergency repatriation fund has increased to ₱1.286 billion in 2026. In addition, the agency was allotted ₱942 million for its “Alagang OWWA” program, which supports welfare services including OFW Serbisyo Caravans abroad.
Olalia said part of the Alagang OWWA budget will fund OFW caravans that bring government services directly to Filipinos overseas through a whole-of-government approach involving at least 15 agencies.
As of November 2025, these caravans have already assisted 63,161 OFWs, resulting in 145,807 government transactions, mainly across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
Currently, OFW Serbisyo Caravans are ongoing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, led by DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac with support from First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
Overall, OWWA’s total budget for 2026 reached ₱4.2 billion, marking a 26% increase from its ₱3.4 billion allocation last year. Meanwhile, the DMW’s total budget for 2026 stands at ₱11.7 billion.
Olalia also reported that under repatriation programs, the DMW has already assisted 3,723 OFWs who were victims of scam operations in Cambodia and Myanmar.
