MANILA, 28 December 2007 — Overseas workers give high contributions to the government but get little protection, a University of the Philippines professor said in his country report for the year 2007.
Dr. Eduardo Gonzales, a University of the Philippines’ professor at the Asian Center and former Development Academy of the Philippines president, said in his report done in consultation with Social Watch that while OFWs contributed a whopping 12 percent of the total Gross Domestic Product for 2006, they remain to be at the far end of the social insurance benefits.
He cited the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) as the government agency expected to provide most of the social protection that OFWs and their families need, but its assistance is “too little and too selective.”
OWWA has been collecting $25 in membership fee from each OFW departing for work abroad for 25 years, yet many OFWs remain unprotected while working abroad, he noted.
Gonzales quoted the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) as saying that “OWWA has been operating inefficiently” using the workers’ contributions.
In its 10-year Performance Report, OWWA said its fund grew by more than four times in 11 years time from 1995-2005. From its starting point of 2.1 billion pesos, it grew to P8.5 billion.
OWWA claimed that it extended its programs, benefits and services to a total of 24.2 million OFWs and their dependents through its regional and overseas field operations which amounted to P3.04 billion.
The agency likewise said in its 10-year performance report that it repatriated 10, 834 OFWs whose cost of repatriation including airfares totaled P169 million. OWWA also reported that it was able to provide assistance to 614, 697 OFWs, including 11, 759 OFWs who were accorded airport assistance.
