FINAL REPORT - Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

workers and these funds have accumulated to as much as P6 billion as
of 2003.
Government has periodically raided migrant workers’ funds held in trust
at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for initiatives
that have never benefited migrant workers and their families. The funds
are sourced from the US$25 welfare fund contribution paid by every
migrant worker on a per contract basis, the yearly contribution of P900
Medicare Fund and from the interest income of OWWA investments.
Arroyo had her henchmen in the labor portfolio indefinitely suspend
the OWWA General~Financial Assistance Program (GFAP) to migrant
workers and their families on July 1, 2003. This resulted in the
denial of medical, livelihood and other forms of assistance to
migrant workers and their families.
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Arroyo also ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs on March
12,2003 to charge OWWA US$293,500 (P11,407,500) to cover the
Philippine government’s so-called preparations for a massive evacuation
of Filipinos in the then impending US invasion of Iraq. This was
evidenced by her handwritten ‘OK charge to OWWA’ note on the
memo diverting the funds attached as Annex “A”. The funds were
released. There was no evacuation but where is the money?
Arroyo also transferred from the P100 million Livelihood Development
Program for migrant workers from the OWWA to the National Livelihood
Support Fund under the Office of the President in September 2003. The
diversion of this program and its funds gave her the free hand to decide
as to what projects she would do and where they would be allotted. This
also did not benefit migrant workers. Labor Secretary Patricia Sto.
Tomas and former OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo, at the behest of
Arroyo, also exposed but could not explain an anomaly involving fake
OWWA Medicare claimants amounting to P10 million.
Also, a P1 million fund release dated December 30, 2003 was given to the
Classroom (Galing sa Mamamayang Pilipino sa Abroad (CGMA) project,
with most expenses earmarked for ‘conferences, promotional materials,
communication and transportation costs.’
In January 16,2004, the OWWA Board of Trustees decided that ‘No
medical reimbursements are allowed. Anybody who does this again is
subject to disciplinary action’ as stated in the Summary of Board
Instructions attached as Annex “B”.
In fact, at least 461 migrant workers who either had medical
reimbursements or checks for pick up that were rendered ‘pending’ by
the OWWA.” (emphasis supplied)
But the worst scheme exposed by Santiago before the CCTA was the transfer of
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