FILE Returning overseas Filipino workers arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Photo from DFA
MANILA, Philippines — The Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) on Thursday said they would need more funding should the Department of Health’s proposal of conducting swab tests on overseas Filipino workers (OFW) on the 7th or 8th day of their quarantine pushes through.
OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said more funding is needed since the proposed adjustment would prolong the stay of OFWs for a day or two.
“Yung extension na hinihiling ng DOH sa mga pagpupulong namin, nag-manifest kami na may kaunting karagdagan doon, kasi nga kung one to two days ‘yung stay, may dagdag doon, syempre may price tag ‘yon sa mga hotel,” he said in a Teleradyo interview.
(We have manifested that the DOH’s request would entail an additional cost since the OFWs’ hotel stay would be extended for one to two days. There will be additional cost, because there is a price tag in hotels.)
The agency initially requested P9.8 billion to cover the quarantine expenses for the remaining year, without the new proposal in the equation, according to Cacdac. The supplemental budget is expected to arrive before the budget runs out by “second or third week” of May, he added.
“‘Pag nangyari ‘yon, meron na naman kaming posibleng i-propose na dagdag na halaga, kahit hindi na kasing laki ng P9.8 billion kasi one to two days extension lang naman,” he noted.
(When that pushes through, we would likely propose to have the budget augmented, but not as big as P9.8 billion because the extension is only for one to two days.)
The official said the DOH’s proposal would be tackled in a meeting with IATF and other concerning agencies within the day.
Cacdac, in another interview, said OWWA is expecting at least 2,000 OFW arrivals a day, and as much as 60,000 in a month. For the remaining eight months of the year, the number is estimated to reach 480,000 arrivals.
Over half a million OFWs have returned to the country since May 2020, many of them lost their jobs due to the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic.