OWWA seeks additional P7.5-B funds for quarantine of returning OFWs

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is requesting for fresh funding from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to augment its funds for quarantine accommodation of repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

At a virtual press briefing on Friday, OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has already requested the DBM for an additional budget of P7.5 billion.

Cacdac said the DBM’s response is “positive” and that both agencies are working on completing several paperwork and requirements for the fresh funding request.

The OWWA administrator said additional funding is needed since the remaining of the P5.2 billion supplemental budget for repatriated OFWs’ quarantine accommodation is “good until mid-September.”

He said that the cost of quarantine accommodation has jacked up since repatriated OFWs are required to be quarantined for 14 days, but OWWA’s budget is only good for three days worth of quarantine.

“The P7.5 billion, that’s for food, transport, and hotel quarantine accommodation cost,” Cacdac said.

“Assuming, we have 2,000 arrivals per day until the end of the year, the projected cost from September 16 to December 31, 2021 is P7.5 billion,” he added.