It will allow the agency to provide assistance to more workers abroad.
On Monday, January 12, the the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) disclosed that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) received a PhP1.2 billion budget for emergency repatriation in 2026.
Under the government’s repatriation assistance, the DMW extended support to 3,723 OFWs victimized by scammers in Cambodia and Myanmar, said DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia.
“For OWWA, tumaas po iyong ating tinatawag na emergency repatriation to PhP1.286 billion for 2026 and mayroon tayong tinatawag na ‘Alagang OWWA’ na PhP942 million,” noted Olalia.
According to him, part of those expenses for the Alagang OWWA will be allocated for caravans for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
“Ito po iyong ginagawa nating serbisyo sa ating mga OFWs abroad na kung saan may whole-of-government approach tayo. Hindi bababa sa 15 ahensiya ang tumutulong para ilapit iyong government services para sa ating mga OFWs,” he explained.
The DMW Undersecretary also reported that as of November 2025, the caravans have assisted 63,161 OFWs abroad—equivalent to 145,807 government transactions, conducted particularly in the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
The government is currently carrying out caravans in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, spearheaded by DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos. That caravan also coincides with the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Overall, OWWA received a PHP4.2 billion allocation for 2026, said Olalia. Meanwhile, the DMW has received a budget worth PHP11.7 billion.