The Philippine government significantly increased funding for its overseas workers program, allocating 11.745 billion pesos ($205 million) for 2026, a 34% jump from the previous year, officials announced Monday.
The expanded budget for the Department of Migrant Workers aims to provide broader coverage and enhanced services for millions of Filipinos working abroad, Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said at a presidential palace briefing.
The department’s Office of the Secretary received 7.46 billion pesos, up 40% from 5.3 billion pesos in 2025, while the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration saw its allocation rise 26% to 4.285 billion pesos from 3.4 billion pesos, Olalia said.
A key component of the increase is the Aksyon Fund, which provides financial, medical, legal and repatriation assistance to workers in distress. The fund’s budget nearly doubled to 2 billion pesos from 1.2 billion pesos last year — the first time it has reached that level.
In 2025, the fund assisted more than 160,000 overseas Filipino workers, including financial aid for 27,661 beneficiaries and repatriation support for 3,723 individuals affected by overseas scams, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, according to Olalia.
The government also upgraded the OFW Hospital in Pampanga province to Level 2 status, with a total budget of 639 million pesos that includes 145 million pesos for capital improvements. The facility maintains a zero-billing policy for patients.
Emergency repatriation programs will receive 1.286 billion pesos in 2026, Olalia said.
The department’s “Alagang OWWA” mobile caravans, which bring government services directly to workers abroad, have assisted more than 63,000 workers and processed nearly 146,000 transactions as of November 2025, primarily in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. The program involves at least 15 government agencies working together.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos is currently leading a caravan in Dubai alongside Labor Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Olalia said.
More than 10 million Filipinos work overseas, and their remittances are a crucial pillar of the Philippine economy.
