The Department of Migrant Workers has pushed back against claims that repatriated overseas Filipino workers receive only P10,000 under the AKSYON Fund, saying the amount is immediate arrival assistance and not the full support a distressed worker can receive.
In a two-page advisory posted on its official Facebook page, the DMW said it is “not true” that aid for repatriated OFWs is limited to P10,000. The department described that amount as agarang tulong — immediate assistance handed to a repatriated worker upon arrival in the Philippines — and said it does not represent the total government support available as part of the repatriation effort.
The clarification follows a viral social media post and a circulating DMW certification endorsing a repatriated worker for P10,000 in financial assistance, which prompted questions online over why sick and distressed OFWs appeared to receive far less than victims of illegal recruitment and other cases.
According to the advisory, the P10,000 arrival assistance is separate from a P10,000 onsite assistance given abroad and an additional P10,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. Taken together, the DMW said a repatriated OFW can receive no less than P30,000 in direct financial assistance. The department added that this figure is on top of government spending on repatriation itself and other necessary support such as accommodation, food, and transport.
The DMW said further aid may follow after assessment. Legal, welfare, and medical assistance ranging from P50,000 to P75,000 is available for OFWs with serious medical conditions, the advisory stated, while victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking may receive up to P50,000 in combined financial assistance from the DMW and OWWA, subject to assessment. The department said the AKSYON Fund is also used for legal assistance, labor cases, and other immediate aid for OFWs.
The advisory explained that the P10,000 figure was set based on the P2-billion AKSYON Fund at the start of 2026. It said that in response to broader needs brought on by the crisis in the Middle East, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. added P3 billion to the funds allocated for assisting affected workers.
The DMW said the additional funding allows more OFWs and their families to be reached, including support under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Program, and that corresponding financial assistance is currently being distributed to qualified beneficiaries.
The department reiterated that the P10,000 is immediate aid rather than the total value of support, and said the government continues to provide immediate, humane, and sustainable assistance to overseas Filipino workers.
