Gov’t funds readied for repatriation of OFWs in Middle East

MANILA — Around PHP1.8 billion in government funds can be tapped for the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East, the Department of Budget and Management said on Wednesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration is ready for the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East since it has enough funds to help Filipinos who will return home amid tensions between the United States (US) and Iran, DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo said.

“The government is ready if there’s a need for the call for repatriation of our overseas Filipino workers,” he told Palace reporters.

Toledo said around PHP1.29 billion of the total PHP1.8 billion funds allocated for OFWs’ repatriation will be taken from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) allocation.

The other PHP100 million will come from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration while the remaining PHP500 million is a “free fund,” the DBM official said.

“So given that, as a matter of fact, we have provided in the budget already even without that. We have set aside already funds for the repatriation of our Filipino overseas workers,” Toledo said.

“So even without the pronouncement of the President, we already have the budget for the repatriation,” he added.

The President on Monday sought the repatriation of 1.2 million OFWs in the Middle East as he expressed fear that Filipino workers there might suffer from the current standoff between the US and Iran.

He also asked Congress to prepare a “standby fund” that could be utilized for the possible repatriation of Filipino workers in the Middle East.

Tensions between the US and Iran rose, following the killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani during a drone strike carried out by the US in Baghdad, Iraq last week.

Iran vowed retaliation after Soleimani’s death, but the US also warned of attacking around 52 Iranian sites.

Earlier Wednesday, the Philippine Embassy in Iraq announced that Duterte has ordered the mandatory repatriation of all Filipinos residing and working in Iraq after the highest threat alert was raised in Baghdad.

There are an estimated 4,000 Filipinos in Iraq based on the DFA data.

Toledo said the government can still look for other possible sources of funds, in case PHP1.8 billion is not enough to help OFWs who will be repatriated.

“That is subject to the approval of the President, which is the contingent fund. And other than that, the Department of Finance is looking into the possible sources of such funds from other sources,” he said.

“But as of now, we don’t have yet the figure of how much can we collect or determine how much funds that we can have for this,” Toledo added.

In an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government would not force OFWs to return home and would instead look for a “safe place” where they can stay temporarily in the event that the war between the US and Iran begins.