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Amid Middle East war, Filipinos abroad to expect less support from Marcos in 2027
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr submitted a proposed 2027 national budget where he slashed P654.26 million (Dh39.65 million) from Department of Migrant Workers funds next year
- PUBLISHED: Thu 20 Aug 2026, 12:17 PM
Riyadh-based domestic worker 'Nheng' recalled how her family was denied rice subsidies by the Philippine Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) because her supposed beneficiary – her young son – could not be brought to the distribution center.
In several social media posts, Nheng expressed bitterness at how difficult it is for overseas Filipino workers like her to receive government benefits. “To think that I am an active member of OWWA’s trust fund,” she said.
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While OWWA actively trumpets its achievements in helping distressed Filipinos abroad when the Middle East conflict broke out, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr believes its mother agency, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), must have reduced funding next year.
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How much does Marcos appreciate OFWs?
In his State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos bragged about his government’s safe repatriation of more 12,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) fleeing the Middle East conflict. He also highlighted assistance extended to more than 140,000 affected workers and pledged ongoing welfare and reintegration support.
Three weeks later, Marcos submitted a proposed 2027 national budget where he slashed P654.26 million (Dh39.65 million) from DMW funds next year.
While the leader of about 2 million Filipino workers in the Middle East gave a slight 1.48 per cent increase to OWWA’s budget – from P4.25B to P4.31B, or P60 million (Dh3.63 million)—and a 5.5 per cent increase to DMW’s Social Protection and Welfare for OFWs Program—from P3.22B to P3.34B, or P120 million (Dh7.27 million)—Marcos chopped the collective DMW budget by a total of P654.26 million (Dh39.65 million).
Marcos’ 2027 National Expenditure Program reduced the DMW secretary’s budget by 6.02 per cent, from P6.77B to P6.32B, or by P450 million (Dh27.27 million). Marcos also slashed the Overseas Employment and Welfare Program budget by 3.21 per cent, from P4.899 billion to P4.74 billion, or by P159 million (Dh9.63 million).
Receiving the biggest hit is DMW’s Maritime Research and Skills Competency Program, whose budget decreased by 59.66 per cent, from P338.03 million to P112.77 million, or by P225.26 million (Dh13.65 million).
The agency’s AKSYON Fund, the emergency fund for distressed OFWs, shall have the same P2 billion (Dh121.2 million) budget as 2026.
Despite reducing the budget for OFWs, Marcos glowingly described his proposed P7.2 trillion (Dh436 billion) 2027 government budget as a "prudent and forward-looking investment" aimed at driving transformative reforms, sustaining economic growth, and addressing global uncertainties like the Middle East war.
Are budget cuts fair to OFWs?
Marcos himself highlighted his government’s achievements in repatriating Filipinos from conflict areas—such as the Arabian Gulf region and the Ukraine-Russia war affecting seafarers—and the need to provide economic assistance to them and their families.
The government reported it spent P5 billion (Dh300 million) to boost DMW’s repatriation activities of OFWs from the Middle East as well as its economic aid program called Aksyon Fund.
Migrante International criticized Marcos for treating overseas OFWs as mere "decorations" and economic commodities while failing to provide genuine protection, rights, and domestic jobs.
The group added that with such low regard for migrant Filipino workers by their government, there would be systemic shortcomings in assistance and protection for seafarers and land-based workers caught in international conflicts and abusive foreign labor and visa arrangements.
With roughly 10 per cent of the Philippine population working abroad, the 12 million Filipino diaspora contributes between $35 billion and $40 billion annually in direct financial remittances, which historically accounts for 7 per cent to 9 per cent of the Philippines' gross domestic product.