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By Francis Earl A. Cueto, Reporter
The much-anticipated reduction in fees paid by
departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) finally took effect
Tuesday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
announced.
The reduction came as a result of the improving
peso-dollar exchange rate in 2007, when the peso hit a seven-year
high of P41.10 to $1 in December.
In a statement, OWWA Administrator Marianito
Roque said the slash in the new fees is around 19 percent, and the
OFW contribution to the fund has been set at P1,050 per employment
contract.
He added that the new fee was set during the
OWWA Board meeting last December 17, 2007, when the board issued
Resolution No. 38 lowering the contribution.
The previous fee was based on a peso-dollar
exchange rate of P51 to $1, which caused a public outcry when that
information was made public. Critics said OWWA was overcharging the
contract workers.
In an interview with television network ABS-CBN,
Roque said OWWA Resolution No. 38 will also be applied retroactively
to benefit OFWs who paid the OWWA membership contribution at the old
exchange rate from January 1 to December 31, 2007.
Instead of a refund, however, Roque explained
that the OWWA contributors during that period will be issued a
credit memorandum, which will entitle the OWWA member to extend his
or her membership for three months beyond the two-year maximum
entitlement to the fund’s programs and services.
Members will be notified in writing of their
entitlement to the credit memorandum, he said.
To prevent OFWs from being overcharged again,
Roque added that the collection of OWWA membership contributions
would accurately reflect the dollar-peso exchange rate. The OWWA
resolution also provides that the exchange rate used to determine
the fees will be based on the average dollar-peso exchange rate from
the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
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