The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Friday, August 13, that it needed P7.5 billion more to augment its funds for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who would be repatriated until the end of the year.

In a virtual briefing, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said that the current supplemental funds were “good until mid-September.” OWWA was earlier given P5.2 billion in additional funds.

He explained that 70% of the requested money would be used to pay for the accommodation, food, and transport of OFWs arriving from September 16 to December 31.

The P7.5-billion estimate is good for 2,000 OFWs arriving per day until the end of the year.

“The quarantine period became longer at 14 days for countries such as the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Oman, India, et cetera. That’s why we are asking for fund augmentation,” Cacdac explained, citing the COVID-19 Delta variant as the cause for the longer quarantine period.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III wrote to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in July to request the additional budget.

Cacdac said that the DBM has given a “positive” response. – Rappler.com