Binay asks Palace for P23M to repatriate 1,084 OFWs from Saudi

The government will need at least P23.640 million to repatriate over a thousand overstaying Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, specifically those currently housed at the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, according to Vice President Jejomar Binay. Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ affairs, has already requested for the fund in a letter to President Benigno Aquino III. There are currently 1,084 Filipinos that need to be repatriated at the Hajj Terminal, Binay said, adding that the government is paying 15 Riyals (P172) daily for every OFW housed at the Hajj Terminal. “The Saudi Arabian government is extending full cooperation in providing necessary travel clearances, but we need to provide the air tickets to bring them (OFWs) home to the Philippines," Binay wrote in his letter, excerpts of which were posted on the Office of the Vice President website. He said the P172 being spend on every Filipino at Hajj Terminal every day creates a “serious drain on the limited resources" of the Philippine Embassy in Saudi. He said the amount — P23,640,030 — may be sourced from the President’s Social Fund or any funding source to buy plane tickets for the OFWs staying at the Hajj Terminal. “The President has previously authorized this funding, as requested by the Department of Foreign Affairs. But the (Department of Budget and Management) simply referred to it back to the DFA. This will not solve the problem," Binay said. “The DFA’s Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Fund is limited to specific programs and is now depleted, and cannot possibly be tapped to fund this repatriation without disabling those programs," he added. Binay noted the DFA absorbed a 40-percent budget cut from P19 billion in 2010 to P10.98 billion this year, thus reducing its ATN Fund from P200 million to P109.3 million. The fund is used for items like repatriation, shipment of remains, and medical assistance. Last March, Binay went on an official mission to Saudi Arabia and secured the Kingdom’s approval to facilitate the repatriation of the 4,500 OFWs, most of whom are staying in private homes. - KBK, GMA News