A social media post criticizing how the Department of Migrant Workers distributes its AKSYON Fund has drawn attention online, circulating alongside a DMW certification showing a repatriated overseas Filipino worker being endorsed for P10,000 in financial assistance.
The document, issued in Pasay City on June 16, 2026, certifies an OFW who was repatriated from Kuwait via flight 5J31 on the same date as “a distressed overseas Filipino worker.” It states the certification was issued specifically for the purpose of applying for P10,000 in financial assistance under the AKSYON Fund at the DMW regional offices, “subject to submission of requirements and further evaluation.” The worker’s name was redacted in the version shared online.
The accompanying post, written in Filipino and shared by OFW legal advocate Atty. [full name to confirm], opens with the question, “Php 10,000 na lang? Ano ang nangyayari?” It argues there is confusion in how the fund is spent and asks why victims of illegal recruiters and scammers appear to receive larger amounts while sick and distressed OFWs are given P10,000.
The post questions why funds are spent housing applicants in hotels after accommodation raids, arguing the money would be better directed to distressed OFWs who it says have waited years without receiving promised aid. It contends that many distressed workers come from the provinces and are accustomed to modest conditions, and that resources spent on hotel accommodations should instead go to those still waiting in line.
Beyond the immediate spending questions, the post makes a broader policy argument: that the government’s reliance on immediate repatriation and agency-shouldered payments, followed by financial aid upon a worker’s return, comes at the expense of pursuing cases against abusive employers abroad. According to the post, OFWs could potentially bring home larger amounts if their money claims were fought at the jobsite — provided shelters run by DMW Migrant Workers Offices were improved and workers had access to in-house lawyers and family support. It argues the current system leaves abusive employers unpunished while straining the recruitment industry through joint and solidary liability.
The post is pointed in where it places responsibility. It states the situation should not be blamed on the President, describing his intentions for OFWs as sound, and instead directs its criticism at the DMW’s implementation. The writer says a group bringing together welfare officers, OFW advocates, recruitment agencies, and migrant workers will become active again to help the government surface these problems, urging authorities to prioritize the heaviest OFW concerns over accommodation raids and to pursue genuine cases of inhumane treatment.
For context, the AKSYON Fund (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan) was created under Republic Act No. 11641 to provide legal, medical, and financial aid to distressed OFWs. Under DMW Department Order No. 5, series of 2024, financial assistance ranges from P50,000 to P100,000 depending on the case. The fund’s total allocation rose to P2 billion for 2026, up from P1.2 billion the previous year, and the DMW has said it assisted more than 160,000 OFWs through the fund in 2025.
The DMW has not issued a public response to the post as of this writing.
