A sharper increase in state funding next year is set to broaden the range of government assistance available to overseas Filipino workers, following a significant rise in the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) proposed 2026 budget.
Speaking at a Malacañang briefing on Monday, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the department’s allocation under the 2026 General Appropriations Act climbed to P11.745 billion, up from P8.76 billion in the previous budget cycle—an increase of 34 percent.
He detailed that the Office of the Secretary will receive the largest share of the adjustment, with its budget growing to P7.46 billion from P5.3 billion. “For the Office of the Secretary, we have P7.46 billion, an increase of 40%, coming up from P5.3 billion last year. Iyong OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) po natin, ganoon din po, nag-increase siya from P3.4 billion last year, ang for 2026 is P4.285 billion, an increase of 26%,” Olalia said.
A key priority under the expanded funding is the Aksyon Fund, which supports OFWs in crisis situations. Olalia said the department earmarked P2 billion for the fund in 2026, marking its highest allocation so far and exceeding last year’s P1.2 billion.
According to Olalia, the Aksyon Fund supported 160,769 overseas workers in 2025 alone. Assistance included financial aid for 27,661 individuals, medical help in 1,085 cases, legal support for 6,780 OFWs, and repatriation assistance for 3,723 workers affected by scams abroad, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar.
Health services for migrant workers’ families are also set to benefit from the budget hike. The OFW Hospital in Pampanga has been upgraded to a Level 2 facility, backed by a P639 million budget that includes P145 million for capital expenditures, while maintaining its zero-billing policy for patients.
Olalia added that OWWA’s Emergency Repatriation Program will be funded at P1.286 billion in 2026, ensuring resources for large-scale evacuations during overseas crises.
He also pointed to the continued rollout of the “Alagang OWWA” caravans, which have reached 63,161 OFWs and processed 145,807 service transactions as of November 2025, mainly across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. “Iyong ‘Alagang OWWA’ natin part of those expenses will be for the caravans – ito po iyong ginagawa nating serbisyo sa ating mga OFWs abroad na kung saan may whole-of-government approach tayo hindi bababa sa labing limang ahensiya, departamento ng iba’t ibang government po ang tumutulong para ilapit iyong serbisyo, government services para sa ating mga OFWs abroad,” he said.
