Is this all we get? OFWs cry as their budget is slashed

It’s not fair.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) pumped in around P756 billion into the economy last year but the government is allotting only P3.14 billion for direct services for OFWs in the proposed 2012 national budget, a migrants group said on Monday.

Migrante International said the P3.14 billion accounted for only .17 percent of the proposed budget and was P792 million less than what was set aside for direct services to OFWs last year.

Migrante chair Garry Martinez noted that budget cuts were made in the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) related to direct services for OFWs of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.

No preparations

There is also no indication in the 2012 budget that the government is preparing for an even worse crisis that may befall OFWs in light of the Saudization program, the global debt crisis and the ongoing conflicts in the (Middle East, North Africa) region, Martinez said a statement.

He deplored the “mis-prioritization” in the national budget, pointing out the government was spending “a mere P261.83 per capita” for 12 million OFWs worldwide.

“This is a far cry from the billions of dollars of remittances we rake in and the profit the government makes from OFWs through various fees and charges,” Martinez said.

He said the budget for OFW services was “only 0.43 percent of the debt-servicing budget, three percent of the military budget, and 1.9 percent of the President’s unprogrammed funds, deemed Mr. Aquino’s pork barrel.”

For Owwa

While there was a P90.5 million increase in the MOOE in the Department of Foreign Affairs budget, Martinez said it was intended to pay the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) for past expenses in the repatriation of OFWs from Libya and Japan.

“Without the P90.5 million as debt payment to Owwa, funds for welfare services in the DFA would amount to only P3.05 billion or P792 million less than funds allotted in 2011”, Martinez said.

He also pointed out that in the DFA budget, apart from the P30 million minimum amount for the Legal Assistance Fund (LAF) under the item “implementation of the (Migrants’ Act),” funds for assistance to nationals (ATN) are “mysteriously unstated.”

The LAF budget is intended for legal assistance for OFWs in distress, “especially those in jail and death row,” while the ATN is earmarked for services such as repatriation and medical assistance, Martinez said.

The amended Magna Carta for Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos mandates that at least P100 million should be allotted for the LAF, he said.