MANILA, Philippines - The government said logistical hurdles, and not finances, continue to challenge Philippine embassies from addressing the needs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during critical situations.
In a press release, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said there are, in fact, enough funds earmarked for the Filipinos, especially for repatriation purposes.
“We must understand that there are places abroad that cannot be accessed immediately to rescue our nationals, and there are political conflicts that continue to escalate. But the government is reassuring the public that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is on top of the situation,” he stressed.
The government has allocated P729.2 million so far for ongoing repatriation activities, such as for those affected by conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.
Around P500 million, sourced from the OFW trust fund, has been approved by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Board of Trustees.
The P169.2 million is from the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) fund from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The DBM also released recently P50 million to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the ongoing repatriation activities. The newly released budget for DOLE is in addition to its P10 million 2010 Continuing Appropriations Fund which is being utilized by the department to aid distressed OFWs.
Of the total, P459.9 million have already been spent by the government since March 10.
The funds have been extended to both documented and undocumented workers.
“After the repatriation operations and after DFA have accounted for how much OWWA funds they have used to rescue undocumented workers, OWWA can be reimbursed using the ATN fund, or if needed, from the Contingency Fund or available savings,” Abad said.
Meanwhile, the P50 million fund released by the DBM to DOLE will be used for the relocation to pre-designated holding areas of OFWs in Middle East such as the Philippine School in Tripoli and the Philippine School in Benghazi.
It will also be used for the evacuation by land from relocation areas to exit points in Tunisia (from Tripoli) and Alexandria, Egypt (from Benghazi). Likewise, this fund will be used for the airfare of evacuated OFWs to Manila via Qatar Airways and Philippine Airlines.
