THE over P5 billion in government funding for the quarantine facilities of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are expected to be exhausted by September, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
OWWA Administrator Hans J. Cacdac issued the statement as the projected number of repatriated OFWs who are expected to be repatriated this year reaches 100,000 to 130,000.
Of which, he said, 70,000 to 80,000 were affected by the economic disruption of the Covid-19 crisis worldwide, while the rest are due to causes not related to the pandemic.
Last week, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) estimated that only around 30,000 to 40,000 more OFWs are expected to return home this year.
“So we have a P5.2 billion approved by President Duterte through the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) so we are really thankful for it…. This will last until September. After that we will need additional funding,” Cacdac said in an interview with PTV last Monday.
This will be the second time OWWA sought additional funding from DBM.
During the first half of the year, the OWWA had asked for a bigger budget when its quarantine expenses skyrocketed after the government opted to prolong the quarantine period for inbound passengers from two to three days to as long as 10 days.
The longer period led to OWWA reducing its P11-billion budget for quarantine expenses under the 2021 national budget.
DOLE has asked for a shorter quarantine period for inbound travelers to allow OFWs to go home earlier; however, health officials and experts are against such proposal especially amid the spread of the more infectious variant of Covid-19.
Image courtesy of Nonie Reyes