Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has terminated operations for at least one shelter while verifying reports that some were non-operational despite receiving funds.
In a briefing on Monday, Jan. 12, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the shelter in Taiwan was shut down since it is idle, and funds were shifted to other active shelters.
“There was this decision of the labor attaché to terminate iyong services ng isang shelter dahil hindi po nagagamit [the services of one shelter because it remains unused],” Olalia said.
Reports have called out so-called ghost shelters, including that in Taipei with a budget of around ₱5 million.
Olalia said the DMW regularly assesses all shelters worldwide to maximize resources.
He said the DMW prioritizes improving shelters in areas with large Filipino populations, in particular the Middle East.
