Bello opposes use of OWWA trust fund for aid purposes

FILE: Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III during a press conference on Thursday (Sept. 27, 2018), which is held at the DOLE main office in Intramuros, Manila.(PNA photo by Gil Calinga)

MANILA – Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Tuesday rejected calls to use the trust fund managed by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide for the emergency needs of displaced and repatriated Filipino migrant workers.

“They are sending us more than USD30 billion a year. They are helping our economy. For once, pay back naman tayo (let us pay them back). We should not use their money,” Bello said in a statement.

He added that OWWA funds should just be spent more on its members’ needs, such as livelihood programs or for the educational needs of the members’ children.

“The government should be the one to give them financial assistance to ensure that all the needs of the OFWs have been met…and for the first time, they are asking for help, assistance, why do we have to use their funds? We should not use it at this time,” he said.

He added that the government has to undertake “extra steps” to provide funds to help OFWs.

“Let us not make our OFWs feel that they are being unfairly treated despite their huge contributions to the economy in the good and in the best of times,” he added.

Bello said there are about 90,000 OFWs stranded in other countries, awaiting repatriation, while some 63,000 others have already been brought home.

The OWWA has asked for a PHP5-billion supplemental budget from Congress to prolong its fund’s sustainability as it warned of a “largely looming” bankruptcy should it continue to spend for the food, accommodation, and transportation of repatriated workers beyond 2021.

During a Senate hearing last week, OWWA chief Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency’s PHP18.79-billion fund is expected to be reduced to PHP10 billion by the end of this year, and plunge below PHP1 billion by the end of 2021 should OFWs continue to be displaced and repatriated.

He said they have so far spent more than PHP800 million for repatriation, accommodation and cash assistance to Covid-19 affected returning OFWs.