The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is seeking an additional P12-billion budget after using half of its emergency repatriation funds in response to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said the agency has already utilized around 50 percent of its allocated funds, prompting the request for supplemental financing from the Department of Budget and Management.
Deputy Administrator Jasmine Gapatan said the proposed P12 billion includes P9 billion for emergency repatriation and P3 billion for reintegration programs.
OWWA’s initial emergency repatriation fund stood at about P1.286 billion, with more than P700 million already spent. The fund covers documentation, processing, and transportation costs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their dependents returning to the Philippines.
Reintegration efforts include medical, financial, and transport assistance, as well as skills training and employment support for returning workers.
OWWA, in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers, began repatriation operations in early March following the escalation of conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
