OFWs ask Owwa to name names

A migrant’s rights group over the weekend dared the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) to reveal the names of its officials abroad who failed to remit overseas Filipino workers’ membership renewal fees to the home office.

“This is a matter invoking the stakeholders’ (OFWs’) right to public information and the spirit of transparency, especially since it’s about their funds entrusted to the government through the Owwa,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

Earlier, the Commission on Audit (COA) disclosed that Owwa officials overseas failed to remit more than P21 million in collections to Owwa’s Manila account last year.

In its 2010 report on the Owwa, the COA said dollar and euro collections in various foreign posts amounting to P21.587 million had gone unremitted “for a long period of time.”

These represented collections for the agency’s voluntary membership program, under which overseas workers could obtain assistance for themselves and their families for various concerns.

Monterona said that transferring the overseas Owwa officials concerned to other posts might only complicate disbursements to the Owwa account in Manila.

“As far as I know, Owwa officials posted abroad have only a two-year tour of duty. They may be redeployed to another post or stay in the main or regional offices in the Philippines,” Monterona said.