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By Anthony Vargas, Reporter
THE Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration
(OWWA) said it welcomes any congressional inquiry on it maintaining
it has not committed any irregularity in the management of the OWWA
Welfare Fund.
OWWA Administrator, Marianito Roque Jr.,
explained that a law mandated the transfer of the fund to the
Philippine Health Insurance Corp., (PhilHealth) in 2005.
“Only the amount necessary to cover the
existing claims as well as the one-year operating expenses and
claims processes were transferred,” Roque said in a statement.
The remaining amount was retained by OWWA, which
it uses in developing additional programs and services for the OFWs,
particulary relating to health services.
“In pursuit of transparency and
accountability, OWWA welcomes inquiries into its fund management of
the OWWA Welfare Fund,” the OWWA administrator said adding its
spending undergoes strict scrutiny by the Commission on Audit.
Valenzuela City Rep. Rex Gatchalian, vice
chairman of the House OFW Committee, moved for the scrutiny of the
OWWA funds due to rising complaints from OFWs over difficulties in
claiming their benefits.
“We would like to assure Hon. Gatchalian that
there is no basis for the allegations of irregularities in the
management of the Welfare Fund. Rest assured the funds remain intact
and will not be utilized in any manner contrary to what it was
established for,” the OWWA said.
The OWWA trust fund is generated out of the $25
membership dues paid by OFWs every two years.
Last year, various groups called for an
inventory of funds collected from OFWs by the OWWA and the
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), alleging that
they have practically overcharged the $25 membership dues since it
failed to adjust in time the peso equivalent of the $25 membership
fee.
At the time the complaints were made, the
peso-dollar exchange has gone lower, on account of the appreciation
of the peso relative to the dollar.
Last year, membership dues were charged by using
a peso-to-dollar conversation rate of P51 to $1 or (P1, 275) even
when the exchange rate was already P42 to $1.
After a Senate inquiry on the said issue, OWWA,
POEA and labor agencies agreed to adopt a flexible exchange rate in
computing the peso equivalent of the $25 OWWA dues.
The OWWA fee was initially reduced to P1, 050
from December 19 to 31 last year, using an exchange rate of P42:$1.
It was further reduced to P1, 043.58 in January,
using the average exchange rate in December, and further down to P1,
023.45 in February, using the January average peso-dollar rate.
This March, the OWWA contribution was further
reduced to P1, 017.175, using the reference rate of P40.687: $1.
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