The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is requesting an additional P12 billion from the Department of Budget and Management to aid repatriation and reintegration of overseas Filipino workers affected by the Middle East crisis. OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan stated that 55 percent of the agency's allocation this year has already been used. As of Friday, 6,706 Filipinos have been repatriated.
At a press briefing on Monday, OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan revealed that the agency has already exhausted 55 percent of its emergency repatriation fund allocation this year. This prompted the request for a supplemental budget from the Department of Budget and Management to cover repatriation and reintegration programs.
"This is the reason why we are requesting the DBM for a supplemental budget to be used for the ERF and reintegration efforts of the agency," Caunan said. For 2026, OWWA received only P1.2 billion, which she noted is insufficient compared to previous years without such a large crisis.
As part of the UPLIFT committee, OWWA regularly conducts forecasting based on the situation of affected OFWs. "We talk about the current situation, so based on our simulation, we do forecasting because we want to prepare for the worst-case scenario," she explained.
Repatriation expenses include flight tickets, hotel stays, temporary shelter, meals, domestic flights, immediate financial assistance, and reintegration support. "We are talking about a repatriation package or the cost of repatriating someone – that is including pre-repatriation and post-repatriation," she added. As of Friday, 6,706 Filipinos have been repatriated, including 5,023 OFWs, their dependents, and other overseas Filipinos.
