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DMW looking into OWWA's P1.4-B land acquisition deal

Philippines | National

DMW looking into OWWA's P1.4-B land acquisition deal

By Aaron Recuenco

At A Glance

The parcel of land was supposed to be used as accommodation for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
The land deal, however, allegedly did not go through the normal procedure

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has been investigating the P1.4 billion land acquisition deal of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the agency’s newly-installed administrator said on Saturday, May 17.

OWWA administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said the transaction for the parcel of the land happened last year and the agency will coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Commission on Audit (COA) as part of the probe.

The parcel of land is located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and was supposed to be used as accommodation for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The problem is the deal allegedly did not go through the proper process since the transaction should have been first approved by the Board of Trustees, which is headed by DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.

“There’s an investigation… we will allow due process to take its course,” said Caunan during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

The land acquisition deal, which was already suspended, was reportedly the reason why Arnell Ignacio was sacked as OWWA administrator.

Caunan took her oath as the new OWWA administrator on Friday, May 16, following her appointment as the new OWWA administrator.

Before her appointment, Caunan served as Undersecretary for Policy and International Cooperation from 2022.

She played a key role in forging 15 bilateral labor agreements with countries such as Canada, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Finland, Denmark, Singapore, Croatia, Slovenia, and Kuwait.

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