OWWA to Receive Own Budget from 2018 Nat’l Budget
Returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could soon benefit from a boost in livelihood and employment opportunities as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) receives its own budget from the government next year.
Senator Sonny Angara announced on Saturday that the OWWA will operate in 2018 with P916 million from the national budget on top its P1.96 billion OWWA Fund.
“Sa halos apat na dekada mula nang naitatag ang OWWA, ito ang unang pagkakataon na makakatanggap ito ng pondo mula sa gobyerno. Dahil dito, mas mapapalakas nito ang mga programa at proyekto na layong tiyakin ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng ating mga OFW at kanilang mga pamilya,” said Angara.
Angara authored the Republic Act 10801 or the OWWA Law of 2016, which declares OWWA as a national government agency and an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Angara said the additional budget will cover personnel services requirement of OWWA as well as operating expenses for general administration and support.
The additional fund could mean that the OWWA Fund, which comes from the $25 membership contributions of foreign employers, will be untouched and will be focused on programs that uphold the welfare of OFWs and their families.
“The OWWA is now more empowered to provide prompt and appropriate response to global emergencies or crisis situations affecting OFWs and their families,” Angara added.
According to OWWA’s website, the agency currently has wide-range of services divided into four main categories—social benefits, education and training assistance, workers welfare assistance program, and social services and family welfare services.
Meanwhile, OFWs should not also worry about wasting their membership fees if they were unable to avail of their services.
OWWA is set to implement the rebate system for OFWs who have actively paid for their membership, but had not avail of any programs, in compliance to the Republic Act 10801.
In a Facebook live session on July 28, OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the government targets to implement the rebate system in the second half of the year.
(Source: FilipinoTimes.net)