Senate OKs nearly P17-B budget for migrant workers agency in 2023
MANILA – The Senate on Friday approved some P16.94 billion worth of budget for the Department of Migrant Workers next year in a bid to fully constitute the new agency.
Senator Joel Villanueva said their chamber increased the budget of the inaugural department by some 2 billion from the initial proposal of P14 billion under the government’s fiscal spending plan for 2023.
“Nilagay natin sa isang bahay ang lahat ng serbisyo para sa mga OFWs bilang tugon sa matagal na nilang dinadaing na hirap sa mga prosesong kailangan nilang pagdaanan mula deployment hanggang repatriation at reintegration,” said Villanueva.
Senator JV Ejercito, who defended the agency’s budget, said overseas Filipino workers have contributed some P2.093 trillion in the past 5 years.
This prompted Senator Allan Peter Cayetano to call for a bigger budget for the agency in the coming years so the goals of the new agency would materialize.
“I know it is simply organizational, but the reason why we… filed this bill… para the buck stops with them. Kung may complain ang OFW, isang pangalan lang: Ople,” said Cayetano during his interpellation.
“I’m just saying vis-a-vis the [P2 trillion] na binigay ng OFWs, ano ba naman ‘yung P25- or P30- or P50 billion na budget na kumpletos rekados,” the former foreign affairs secretary added.
He also urged the DMW to have more labor attaches, since currently the department only has 40.
“Kung wala kayong tao sa lugar na ‘yon ay napakahirap,” the lawmaker said.
“There are Filipinos in all parts of the world… maybe we can appeal to our other half, the House of Representatives and the Palace… let us make a significant impact in the first year,” he noted.
Former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in April said the DMW would only be fully constituted or would only fully materialize once the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), staffing pattern, and budget have been approved.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte approved the agency’s IRR in late April this year. A staffing pattern, meanwhile, was presented to Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople in June.
Source: Senate OKs nearly P17-B budget for DMW in 2023 | ABS-CBN News