Budget for OFW repatriation depleting, OWWA seeks additional ₱9.8B

There are currently around 10,000 of them staying in more than 140 hotels, yielding ₱30 million in accommodation expenses alone per day, Cacdac said. Given this, he admitted facilities are already getting overwhelmed, which is why authorities have already resorted to tapping budget hotels.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said such a volume of OFW occupants is due to the extension of the quarantine period to eight up to nine days from one to three days in the past.

Such extension followed the changes in the protocol on COVID-19 testing for returning OFWs.

In the past, OFWs were being tested for swab samples upon arrival at the airport.

But that changed and they needed to stay at the quarantine hotel and wait for the fifth day to get tested, as this procedure is deemed more effective.

“Kaya nga we resorted to budget hotels and facilities kasi nga na-overwhelm na yung mga hotels natin dito sa Metro Manila,” said OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac.

The official explained that their budget is depleting as they need to spend about P30-M a day for the quarantine procedures apart from the transportation expenses of ferrying returning OFWs to the hotel from the airport.

“As a result talagang challenged ang funds natin ngayon and we project na by April and May ay mauubos yung 2021 Budget, yung P6.2 Billion,” Cacdac said.

“For the remainder of the year ‘yun, so ₱9.8 billion,” he said, noting this is subject to protocols for returning OFWs at present. Cacdac added that the Budget chief has already said the agency is willing to extend help on this.

Cacdac likewise mentioned the DOLE-AKAP (Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong for OFWs) assistance program had already assisted in the Philippines alone over 400,000 OFWs displaced by the pandemic.

The official said they have notified the Department of Budget and Management of the situation and requested for additional budget.

The agency recorded around 470,000 OFWs who returned to the country since the start of the pandemic and is expecting to receive 100,000 more this year.