The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will be needing an additional PHP7.5 billion for the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) displaced by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has requested for the said amount to be used for the repatriation of OFWs for the month of September until December.
“Our good Secretary Bello has requested for an additional of PHP7.5 billion which will be utilized for the remainder of the year,” he said in a virtual forum on Friday.
The OWWA chief added that the PHP5.2 billion which was given in June for the repatriation program will be good until next month.
“The PHP5.2 billion released last June, is still good until September. We’re good until September,” he said.
At present, Cacdac reported there are 7,500 OFWs in 175 hotel quarantine facilities in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.
As of Friday, a total of 646,912 OFWs have been sent to their home provinces since the government started bringing them back to country in May last year.
He added that the PHP7.5 billion will be for food, transport, and hotel expenses, which comprised 70 percent of the budget.
The budget will cover the expenses from September 16- December 31, 2021. (PNA)
