Home Finance DMW Seeks COMELEC Election Spending Ban Exemption for OFW Aid

DMW Seeks COMELEC Election Spending Ban Exemption for OFW Aid

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MANILA — The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) plans to request a special exemption from election spending restrictions to continue providing critical financial assistance to overseas Filipino workers during the upcoming election period.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac told journalists Saturday that responding to urgent distress calls from migrant workers abroad is a core agency responsibility that cannot be delayed by electoral regulations.

“It is an emergency. We are needed by our overseas workers,” Cacdac emphasized, noting the agency will seek a Comelec (Commission on Elections) exemption to maintain essential services during the public spending ban from March 28 to May 11.

The proposed exemption mirrors a similar arrangement granted to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which was allowed to continue 28 social welfare programs under strict conditions, including prohibiting candidate involvement during distributions.

In addition to seeking financial assistance exemptions, Cacdac confirmed the agency is collaborating with election officials to encourage migrant worker voter participation in the May 12 elections.

The announcement comes amid ongoing efforts to support Filipino workers overseas, including the investigation into the recent death of Jenny Alvarado in Kuwait. Cacdac assured that government agencies are supporting Alvarado’s family and working with local authorities to investigate the circumstances of her death, which reportedly occurred due to coal smoke inhalation.

Philippine lawyers in Kuwait are also examining potential legal actions regarding an earlier administrative error that resulted in the mistaken repatriation of a different worker’s remains.

The agency’s proactive approach underscores the Philippine government’s commitment to protecting and supporting its estimated 10 million overseas workers, who are critical to the nation’s economy through their substantial remittances.