By Sonny Fernandez
Photo Source: DMW FB Page
The Philippines' newly-created Department of Migrant Workers inches closer to its bid of becoming fully operational in 2023 after the senate approved its proposed P16.3B budget at past midnight on Friday, November 11, 2022. Almost three-fourths or P11.77B of the total budget is allotted to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency, while P4.32B is for the programs and operations of the Office of the Secretary, Susan "Toots" Ople. "This is an historic day for all Overseas Filipino Workers and OFW advocates around the world. We thank the Senate for recognizing the need to augment and approve 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 funds," Ople said in a news release posted on DMW FB page on Saturday, Nov. 12. Funded programs and projects of DMW include 16 DMW regional offices and centers all over the country; 0verseas Employment Adjudication Offices in the National Capital Region (NCR), and in Regions 3, 4-A, 7, and 11; and expansion of Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs), formerly Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs), in some foreign posts. Ople said the putting up of regional offices and centers and adjudication offices will bring DMW and its services closer to OFWs and their families in provinces. Budgetary outlays were also allocated for key programs like digital modernization of the department's information and communications technology capability, operations of the head office, 16 new regional offices, and the National Maritime Polytechnic in Tacloban, Leyte. The Senate also allotted an additional P500M for the operationalization of the OFW Hospital in Mabalacat, Pampanga. Ople said the additional appropriation will allow them to hire 229 regular staff positions, buy new equipment and fund its operations. Senate Finance Sub-Committee Chair Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito who sponsored the department’s budget, said the passage of the DMW’s very first budget will make the department a fully constituted agency of the government. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, one of the principal authors of Republic Act 11641 which created DMW said, “karangalan po natin ang makita na tumatakbo na ang DMW ayon sa layunin ng batas. We are hopeful the current structure of DMW will address the concerns of our migrant workers and we commit to help the leadership in any way we can.”
The Lower House for its part, approved a slightly lower P15.2B budget for DMW last September 22.
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