During the Senate finance committee’s discussion on the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) proposed 2024 budget held on September 11, Senator Raffy Tulfo proposed that the DMW be allocated confidential funds ranging from P25 million to P50 million to intensify the fight against illegal recruitment.
Tulfo argued that such a fund was necessary for intelligence gathering to track and shut down illegal recruiters and scammers targeting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Senator Tulfo, the chair of the Senate’s migrant workers committee, emphasized that while other government entities received confidential and intelligence funds, the DMW, which is at the forefront of protecting migrant workers, had not been accorded the same privilege.
Tulfo expressed readiness to “start small” by initially earmarking a budget between P25 million and P50 million for the DMW’s confidential fund.
Despite the appeal, some lawmakers and DMW representatives expressed reservations.
Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Joseph Victor Ejercito, along with DMW undersecretaries Bernard Olalia and Anthonette Allones, favored bolstering the existing budget for the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau, which currently oversees the surveillance and closure operations targeting illegal recruiters, rather than establishing a confidential fund.
Recalling the stance of the late migrant workers secretary Toots Ople, Allones emphasized that working with law enforcement agencies could effectively curb illegal recruitment without the need for a confidential fund.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino suggested amending the existing budget line items to avoid potential issues with the Commission on Audit.
Despite a request for a P29.49 billion budget for 2024, DMW has been allocated a preliminary budget of P15.54 billion in the National Expenditure Program, a marginal decrease from the 2023 allotment.
Tulfo lamented the department’s underutilization of its 2023 budget, despite the mounting challenges, including the evacuation of OFWs from conflict zones and a slew of complaints from distressed workers.
The senator highlighted the DMW’s low expenditure rate, revealing a 27% utilization rate as of August 31, and urged for an improvement in the department’s budget usage.
Undersecretary Hans Cacdac acknowledged the concerns, outlining a “catch-up plan” that encompasses the expansion of migrant workers offices and augmented financial assistance for OFWs, among other strategies to enhance the department’s operations.