Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople on Saturday vowed to be transparent and accountable for her agency’s budget after the Senate set aside some P16 billion for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), a step that would bring her office closer to being operational.
“We thank the Senate for recognizing the need to augment and approve the DMW’s 2023 budget, the department’s first ever and a requirement for its full constitution. We commit to full transparency, accountability and judicious use of public funds,” Ople said in a statement.
On Friday, the Senate approved P16.3 billion worth of funds for the DMW, including an additional P1.15 billion from the upper chamber. This is higher than the P15.2 billion the House of Representatives earmarked in September for the agency.
According to Ople, the biggest slice of the budget pie would go to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, an attached agency of the DMW, with P11.77 billion. The rest of the funds would be allotted to the following: P4.32 billion for the Office of the Secretary and P230 million for the retirement and life insurance premiums.
She noted that the proposed budget would fund the establishment of 16 DMW regional offices in the country; overseas employment adjudication offices in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas and Davao region; as well as the expansion of migrant worker offices (formerly the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices) in select countries.
Additional allocation inserted by the Senate would also fund the operations of the OFW Hospital in Mabalacat, Pampanga, including the hiring of more personnel and the purchase of new equipment. INQ
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