THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) late on Friday announced that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allocated P10.2 billion to the agency.
According to the DMW, it is part of its Social Services sector fund, which gets the largest share in the proposed 2026 national budget.
“We affirm our enduring commitment to protect the most vulnerable sectors of our society through the P227-billion budget for the Social Services sector in 2026. Of this amount, P223.4 billion will be allocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and P10.2 billion to the Department of Migrant Workers, among others,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his budget message.
Part of the budget is a P3.5-billion budget for the DMW’s attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“We will continue to support the important programs of the DMW to assist and protect the welfare of our fellow Filipinos. This includes the funds to ensure the agency can continue providing assistance, especially to distressed OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) and their families,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.
“Every life of our fellow OFWs is important to our President. That’s why we will ensure that there is sufficient funding for these programs so that the government is always ready to support and assist in times of need,” she added.
Based on the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the fiscal year 2026, P1.2 billion will go to the DMW’s Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan (Aksyon) Fund, which provides comprehensive assistance to OFWs, as well as Support for the Emergency Repatriation Program receiving P1.3 billion.
Other DMW projects given allocations under the NEP include the Workers Auxiliary Support Program (P109 million) and Alagang OWWA (P109 million), while P497 million will be given to the OFW Hospital in Pampanga that will provide care and support services for OFWs and their families.
