Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) — Nearly 4,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) used free flights back home not just once but up to five times at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

It asked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to explain how 3,707 OFWs tapped the emergency repatriation program multiple times between April 2020 to May 2022.

The OFWs were listed as “in distress,” which also earned them free accommodation, meals, and rides to their respective destination.

Overseas Filipino in distress is defined as those who have “medical, psycho-social, or legal problem requiring treatment, counseling, or legal representation” under the Migrant Workers And Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

“It appeared that the repatriation program was utilized by these OFWs for their regular trips back home after their contracts expired and not from distress as can be gleaned by the number of times these OFWs availed of the program,” COA said.

The audit body added that the “improper evaluation” of these OFWs “depleted scarce government resources” and “exhausted funds” that could have been used for eligible OFWs in distress.

Auditors traced the 3,707 OFWs to Northern Mindanao, but OWWA’s regional office there said ot only received and facilitated these OFWs as communicated to them by the central office.

OWWA Northern Mindanao, meanwhile, assured COA that it will consult with the central office to ensure that the emergency repatriation is expended only to those eligible.