00:00The Department of Migrant Workers faced scrutiny during a recent budget hearing
00:04when lawmakers expressing concerns over fees imposed over overseas Filipino workers.
00:09Questions were raised about the use of these funds, including the verification fee
00:14and how they support the agency's programs. The story.
00:20Officials of the Department of Migrant Workers, or DMW, were grilled by some lawmakers
00:25during the budget deliberation in Congress recently of the agency's proposed budget for next year.
00:32Lawmakers are criticizing some fees that OFWs have to pay before being allowed to leave the country,
00:38including the verification fee, but the DMW explained.
00:41Yun naman pong verification fee ay babayaran na lamang niya, let's say 2, 3, 4, 5 years later,
00:48kapag siya'y kumita na ng halaga ng pera sa abroad.
00:51So, hindi po yan sabay-sabay na binabayaran ng isang OFW.
00:57Kumbaga, may spacing naman po yung pagbayad ng dalawang fees na yun.
01:01DMW was also asked where the money they have collected goes to,
01:05including the placement fees they charge to money and recruitment agencies.
01:09Ay gamitin yung verification fee collection sa pagtayo ng mga bagong migrant workers' office.
01:15So, yun po ay sinasagawa na rin namin ngayon.
01:18Bilang, kumbaga, alleviation na rin nung paghingi namin ng karagdagang budget sa Kongreso.
01:26The proposed budget of the DMW for next year is over 10.2 billion pesos,
01:32and a large part of the agency's funds will be allocated to support distressed OFW
01:37and in strengthening the repatriation program.
01:40The DMW will also request an additional 3.45 billion pesos for its sole attached agency,
01:47the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration or OWA.
01:49A large percentage of this will go to the enhancement of their services for their members.
01:55According to OWA's latest record, its active members have reached more than 1 million,
02:00and the largest number of them are land-based OFWs.
02:04The total membership collection raised by OWA has also exited more than 2 billion pesos.
02:09They will also allocate funds for the beautification of the OFW lounges at Naiya.
02:14According to OWA, more than 400,000 OFWs have been serviced by the OFW lounges,
02:21and OWA has allocated more than 60 million pesos for this.
02:25Sana tulungan nila yung mga OFW na may mga problema sa ibang bansa.
02:29Dapat asikasuhin nila yung kawawa.
02:31Dapat pala kasi nila yung mga programa dyan sa mga OFW.
02:36Tuloy-tuloy nila yung pag-open ng mga trabaho para sa mga manggagawas.
02:41The agency's campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking
02:48was also discussed during the hearing.
02:51Bien, Manalo, from the National TV Network for a New and Better Philippines.
