Recto wants more funds for repatriation

Administration senatorial candidate Ralph Recto vowed Thursday to work for the enactment of a bill that will allocate a bigger portion of the overseas workers’ insurance contribution to repatriation, that is, if he will be given another chance to sit in the Senate. Recto, a self-proclaimed economist, lamented that out of the P8.1 billion revenues of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), a measly 0.69 percent was set aside for bringing home troubled Filipino workers overseas. Ironically, Recto said OWWA spent P1.8 billion for the salaries of its employees in the 10 years the P8.135 billion income was realized, compared to the “microscopic 0.69 percent" for OFWs’ repatriation. It also spent P1 billion from 1995 to 2004 for its operating expenses such as office supplies, utilities, office rent, gasoline and transportation. Given this situation, Recto said in an interview on radio that it was not surprising that Filipinos caught in the Israel-Lebanon war last year were “virtually left to fend for themselves as the OWWA failed to release funds on time despite the critical situation." “We must enact a law that would ensure the safety and protection of our OFWs during emergencies. We need to allocate funds for their safety, protection and repatriation," Recto suggested. For every P100 that OWWA collects from OFWs, it spends only 69 centavos, or less than one percent, for repatriation, he noted. “In cases such as war or even outbreaks of epidemics, OWWA should not hesitate to spend its fund for the protection of our kababayans working abroad," the re-electionist senator said. From 1995 to 2004, OWWA accumulated a staggering P8.135-billion revenues, but only spent P56.4 million for the last 10 years for purposes of bringing home distressed Filipino migrant workers. “That’s less than one percent, when the principal reason for the mandatory payment of the OWWA fee is that it is some sort of insurance or a safety net that can bail you out when you’re in trouble in some foreign land," Recto said. Recto said OWWA’s primary concern should be to ensure the safety and protection of the OFWs. Thus, it is only right to allocate funds for OFW repatriation in critical periods, like the recent war between Israel and Lebanon. Departing OFWs are required to pay a membership contribution of $25 or its local currency equivalent on a per contract basis, but shall not exceed two years. The same amount shall be paid upon renewal of membership in succeeding years. The fees collected are deposited in a trust fund that is beyond congressional scrutiny insofar as the preparation of the national budget is concerned. - GMANews.TV