OWWA gets bigger 2026 budget to boost OFW aid

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has been allotted a bigger budget in 2026 to expand assistance for overseas Filipino workers, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

OWWA’s emergency repatriation fund rose to P1.286 billion for 2026, while the “Alagang OWWA” program was given P942 million, according to DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia.

Part of the “Alagang OWWA” funds will support OFW caravans abroad, a whole-of-government effort involving at least 15 agencies to bring services closer to Filipinos overseas. 

As of November 2025, the caravans assisted 63,161 OFWs, covering 145,807 government transactions in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Caravans are currently being conducted in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, led by DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

Overall, OWWA received a P4.2 billion budget for 2026, up 26 percent from last year’s P3.4 billion. 

The DMW’s total budget for 2026 stands at P11.7 billion. The agency also provided repatriation aid to 3,723 OFWs victimized by scammers in Cambodia and Myanmar.IMT