MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay on Tuesday raised concerns over the absence of data on the success rates of livelihood programs granted by the government to distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“Kung walang ganung pagaaral parang nagtatapon lang tayo ng P20,000 dun sa mga binibigyan natin at parang lumalabas walang follow through pagdating dun sa mga livelihood programs natin,” Binay said during a hearing of the Senate labor committee on bills seeking to provide additional assistance to OFWs.
(If we don’t have this kind of study it seems like we are just throwing away P20,000 and it appears that there’s no follow through when it comes to our livelihood programs.)
Before this, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Hans Leo Cacdac told the Senate panel that the agency is currently giving a repatriation grant to displaced OFWs amounting to P20,000.
“Meron tayong repatriation grant, micro-start ups for distressed workers, P20,000,” Cacdac told senators.
(We have a repatriation grant, micro-start ups for distressed workers worth P20,000.)
Binay then asked whether there is government data on the success rate of the said program.
But Cacdac said OWWA has yet to have “full-fledged” data on the matter.
“Wala po kaming firm data on the success rate. What we have is ‘yung first three months kung kailan sila pinagbigyan, medyo mataas pa iyon, 70 percent na talagang kinomit nila into investing ‘yung P20,000,” he said.
(We don’t have firm data on the success rate. What we have is the first three months from when they were given aid, 70 percent of beneficiaries really commit the P20,000 assistance they receive into investments.)
“But I will also admit na hindi tayo tayo siguardo whether or not nag-prosper ‘yung negosyo,” he added.
(But I will also admit that we are not sure whether or not the businesses they put up using the grant prospered.)
Nevertheless, Cacdac noted that there are success stories among OFWs who were given the grant.
“We do have success stories, we do identify success stories, and give them recognition but we don’t have the full-fledged data the complete data as to ‘yung success rate po natin,” he added.
Still, Binay said she is concerned that there is no data on the success rate of livelihood programs implemented by the government.
“Nababahala tayo na wala tayong datos pagdating dun sa parang success rate ng mga livelihood programs na ini-implement natin,” the senator said.
(This is concerning that we don’t have data on the success rate of the livelihood programs we are implementing.)
A study on how effective the program is and the success rate among beneficiaries should be conducted, according to Binay.
“Para makita talaga natin kung nagiging sulit ba itong pagbibigay nitong ganitong klaseng pondo,” she added.
(So that we can see if releasing these funds are worth it.)