HOUSE Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (COWA) Chairperson Rep. Bryan Revilla has called for the restoration and augmentation of the budgets for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), describing the current allocations as “barely a sliver” of what the nation owes its modern-day heroes.
Speaking during the budget hearing led by House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mika Suansing, Revilla underscored the cruel irony that while Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) remitted a record-breaking ₱2.2 trillion in 2024—equivalent to 32% of the entire national budget—the proposed allocation for both DMW and OWWA in 2026 is only ₱13.19 billion, or a meager 0.15% of the proposed National Expenditure Program.
“Let that sink in: what our OFWs contribute in a single year is over 215 times larger than what we propose to invest in the very institutions mandated to protect and serve them,” Revilla emphasized.
Revilla also expressed concern over the diminishing capacity of OWWA to respond to urgent distress calls, especially if the Emergency Repatriation Fund remains underfunded. He also raised red flags about the future of OFW Lounges at airports and seaports across the country, warning that ongoing budget cuts could severely limit their availability and upkeep.
“Instead of slashing OWWA’s budget, we should be expanding and improving these lounges—especially in our major international airports. These facilities are not just rest areas; they are vital sanctuaries for OFWs in transit or in distress, shielding them from exploitation and giving them a safe, dignified space to rest and regroup,” he emphasized.
Revilla painted a vivid picture of the reality on the ground: DMW call center agents—many of them contractual—are forced to buy their own headsets and keyboards due to the lack of equipment budget. Frontline staff operate in war zones and remote airports to assist or repatriate OFWs, often going beyond duty hours and job descriptions.
“They hold the line while millions depend on them,” he said.
He enumerated the priority funding requests submitted by the DMW and OWWA, which he said are modest and necessary, not excessive:
• Creation of a Migrant Workers Service Bureau
• Expansion of the Labor Migration Policy and International Cooperation Program
• Intensified anti-illegal recruitment campaigns
• Augmentation of Adjudication Officers and modernization of licensing services
• Restoration of the Aksyon Fund to its original ₱2.4 billion level
• Establishment of OFW Helpdesks in 82 provinces
• Strengthening of reintegration programs for returning OFWs
• Augmentation of the Emergency Repatriation Fund and Alagang OWWA Fund
• Equipment upgrades and staffing for 24/7 help desks
“These are not luxuries. These are essentials that directly impact how well we protect and serve our OFWs,” Revilla stressed.
While he championed increased funding, Revilla also challenged the DMW and OWWA to rise to the occasion:
Prior to the deliberation, officials sought his support to augment their respective budgets. While he committed to stand as an ally of the OFW sector, he posed a challenge to the DMW and OWWA, that with these resources, it is important to not just sustain, but to excel, citing the need to reach every OFW in need, answer every distress call without delay, and ensure no worker ever feels abandoned.
Revilla concluded by reminding his colleagues that behind every peso remitted lies a story of pain, perseverance, and patriotism.
“If our OFWs can carry the torch of our nation through the darkness of distance and years of longing, then surely, we can keep that light burning for them in return. This is not just a budget issue. This is about who we choose to stand for.”
