Photo Release

October 8, 2020

Assistance to Nationals fund: Sen. Imee Marcos expresses concern over the depleting Assistance To Nationals (ATN) fund to cover assistance costs to help distressed Filipino migrants, noting that 70 percent of the P1 billion allotment per year has already been disbursed as of June to repatriate Filipinos because of the pandemic. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said there are about P20 million remaining to repatriate about 177,000 Filipinos. “Yes, but we're scraping the barrel and are you anticipating the same 204,000 (OFWs), because the Department of Labor has actually said that they're anticipating quite a few still to be repatriated,” Marcos said, stressing the need to top up the repatriation budget. Marcos pointed this out during the Finance Subcommittee G hearing Thursday, October 8, 2020 on the proposed 2021 budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

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