Ojt Files

BRIEF HISTORY The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration is a government agency attached to the Department of Labor & Employment tasked primarily to take care of the well being of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families. As such, it is a lead membership welfare institution that serves the interest and welfare of its member- OFWs. The creation of OWWA emanates from the Philippine Constitutional mandate for the State to affirm labor, local and overseas, as a primary social economic force and to guarantee the protection of the rights of overseas workers and the promotion of their interests and general well-being. On May 1, 1977, Letter of Instructions No. 537 was issued formally creating the Welfare and Training Fund for overseas workers and outlined the main objectives and sources of the Fund. About three (3) years later, on May 1,1980, Presidential Decree No. 1694 was issued institutionalizing the Fund and created the Board of Trustees to formulate operational and administrative policies. A year later, PD 1809 dated January 16, 1981 was issued creating the Secretariat charged to administer the funds and oversee the Programs implementation for the Overseas Filipino Workers. About six (6) years later , the Welfare & Training Fund was renamed OVERSEAS WORKERS WELFARE ADMINISTRATION with the issuance of Executive Order 126 on January 30, 1987. During the same year, the Board decided to bring the services of OWWA closer to its public, thus completing the establishment of its regional offices to 13 political subdivisions at that time and later added four (4) more regional offices namely: Region IV-B, Cordillera Administrative Region, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao & the CARAGA Region. OWWA Region 2 was among the first to establish its Office in late 1987. Further to this mandate and in order to enhance service delivery, OWWA increased its presence worldwide by adding more welfare offices within the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices where there’s a large concentration of OFWs.
On June 7, 1995, Republic Act 8042, more popularly known as the Migrant Workers & Filipino Overseas Act, became a law which further clarified and enhanced the functions of OWWA and increased the number of board membership of OWWA. Prior to this date however, on August 13, 1994, OWWA pioneered in the provision of a health care program through Executive Order 195 providing a compulsory coverage of the Medicare program for all OFWs & their beneficiaries except those having existing coverage with the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System. Undeniably, the role of OWWA in various international crises cannot be over-emphasized, the death threatening events in the Middle East, Asia and Europe and the huge financial responsibility in addressing the welfare needs of thousands of OFWs trapped in these crises.
Today, a total of seventeen (17) Regional Welfare Offices, over two dozens of satellite offices across the country and thirty seven (37) Overseas Welfare offices are now serving our clientele of over 5 million Filipinos overseas and about 25 million at the domestic front.
On the part of OWWA region 2, with 15 personnel complement, the office is enjoying serving an OFW population of about 80 thousand families spread in the 5 provinces of the Cagayan Valley Region. On its early month of regional operations, Dir. Robert Bassig was the lone staff and fondly remembers that his working desk, at that time, was located immediately at the door outside the Office of then DOLE Dir. Gerry Castillo where many clients mistook him as his Secretary.
All told, OWWA will remain steadfast in its mandate and will continue to persevere bannering its famous slogans through the years: “abot kamay ang paglilingkod” , “OWWA cares”, and “sa OWWA ang miyembro ay protektado”.
All these were made possible certainly because of the certainly because of the unwavering support of our institutional partners in the academe, the local government units, the national government agencies, the private sector, the international organization, & other social partners.
Finally, OWWA at 30 years is proud to celebrate with our theme: “tatlong dekada ng serbisyong tapat at nararapat”.....

VISSION
OWWA is the lead membership welfare institution that serves the interest and welfare of members-Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
MISSION
OWWA develops and implements responsive programs and services, while ensuring fund viability towards the protection of the interest and promotion of the welfare of its member- OFWs.
VALUE STATEMENT OWWA commits to a fund stewardship that is transparent, judicious and responsive to the requirements of members- OFWs.
QUALITY POLICY OWWA measures its worth by total member- OFW satisfaction with timely interventions and quality standards set forth.

OWWA: A WELFARE INSTITUTION OWWA is the government welfare institution that promotes the interest of member- Overseas Filipino Workers. It develops and implements responsive programs and services for the social protection of its members. With a membership fee of US$25.00, an OFW is entitled to the following benefits and services:
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
I.SOCIAL BENEFITS
A. Disability and Dismemberment Benefit Disability/ Dismemberment benefit of up to Php100, 000 .00 for injuries sustained due to accidents while working abroad.
B. Death Benefits A Php100,000 .00 benefit in case of death due to natural cause and Php200,000.00 in case of death due to accident, shall be received by the legal heirs.
C. Burial Benefits On top of the death benefit, a rider of Php20, 000.00 shall be received by the legal heir for the funeral expenses.
II. EDUCATION AND TRAINING BENEFITS/ ASSISTANCE A. Pre-Departure Education Program (PDEP)
A mandatory orientation/ training for all departing OFWs. Its consists of the following:

1. Country Specific Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS)
A whole day orientation to OFWs consisting of a comprehensive module on employment contract familiarization, profile of the country of destination, stages of the OFWs life, health and safety airport procedures, government programs and services. 2. Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program( CPDEP)
A 3 to 6- day live-out training for Household Services workers( HSWs) consisting of language training, culture familiarization and stress management to prepare them for life overseas.

B. Scholarship, Training and Incentive Programs

B1. Scholarship and Incentive Programs for OFWs /Seafarers a.) Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (SUP)
Scholarship for attendance to short-term upgrading courses for seafarers. First availment consists of Php7,500.00 training assistance. Availment in another training course every after 3 recorded membership.

b.) Mariners’ Dugtong-Aral(MDA)
Scholarships for qualified graduates of BS Mechanical Engineering and BS Electrical Engineering, consisting of a maximum of Php38,120.00 plus Php15,00.00 for 3- month stipend, leading to a BS Marine Engineering degree. These are for those who wish to board an ocean vessel as qualified Marine Officers. c.) Incentive Program for Top 200 Maritime Cadets (Cadetship Program)
A financial incentive to top 100 students of BS Marine Engineering who passed the Maritime School Assessment Program, consisting of a maximum of Php30,000.00 per cadet to be used in processing documentary requirements needed in boarding an international vessel. d.) Marine Educational Development Loan Program (MEDLOP)
A “Study Now, Pay Later” program. MEDLOP is an interest-free financial assistance to defray the cost of tertiary education of prospective Marine Officers and Engineers with guaranteed international Onboard Employment. B2. Scholarship For Dependents a.) Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP)
Scholarship for qualified dependents of OFWs consisting of a maximum of Php60,000.00 per school year, leading to a four-to-five year baccalaureate course in any college or university. b.) OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (OFWDSP)
Scholarships consisting of a maximum of Php20,000.00 assistance per school year leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree in a state college or university. OFW parents must have a salary of not more than $400.00. c.) Educational and Livelihood Assistance Program ( ELAP)
Scholarship for survivors of deceased OFWs consisting of Php5,000.00 for elementary, Php8,000.00 for high school, Php10,000.00 for college (per school year) and livelihood assistance of Php15,000.00 for the surviving spouse. d.) Tuloy-Aral Project(TAP)
An educational assistance consisting of US$100.00 financial support solicited from sponsors to augment the school needs of less fortunate elementary and high school children of former OFWs. e.) Tuloy-Kolehiyo
An extension of the TAP to pursue the tertiary level of education of the TAP scholars leading to either an associate or baccalaureate degree.
B3. Short Term Training Programs For OFWs and Dependents a.) Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)
Scholarships for attendance to short-term training program consisting of a maximum of Php14,500.00 per course leading to the completion of a vocational or technical course in any school accredited by TESDA. b.) OWWA-Microsoft Tulay
A joint undertaking with the Microsoft Corporation providing OFWs and their families free information and communication technology (ICT) skills training, the purpose of which is to bridge the communication gap through the use of internet between the OFW and hiss/her family.
III. WORKERS WELFARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
On-Site Welfare Case Management Includes request for assistance on OFWs’ whereabouts, psycho-social counselling , conciliation, airport assistance, hospital/prison/work camp visitations and legal assistance to OFWs who wish to pursue labor/ welfare case in the court of the host country.
In-Country Welfare Case Management Includes request by families and NOKs (next-if-kin) for assistance from Post, post-repatriation assistance, counselling, referrals, and other concerns. Request for assistance from NOKs or from OFWs can be channelled through the 24/7 Operation Center.

IV. REPATRIATION PROGRAM Repatriation includes bringing distressed OFWs back to the country or bringing back of human remains. Emergency repatriation is carried out in the event of any of political unrest or natural calamities. Repatriated OFWs are accorded with airport assistance, temporary shelter at the Halfway Home, psycho-social counselling, stress debriefing, and provision of transport services or farers for their on-ward travel to their provinces.
V. REINTEGRATION PROGRAM
Reintegration is a way of mainstreaming returning OFWs into the Philippine society.
Reintegration Preparedness ( On-Site) Includes trainings on value formation, financial literacy, entrepreneurial development training (EDT), techno-skills and capacity building trainings.
Reintegration ( In-Country) Implemented under the auspices of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) and OWWA Regional Welfare Offices, consisting of job referral (local and overseas employment) business counselling, community organizing, financial literacy seminar, networking with support institutions, and social preparation programs. A 2 billion-peso Reintegration Fund for enterprise development is a loan facility, in a cooperation with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, where a member or their legal dependent can avail of Php300,000.00 to Php 2 million. The OWWA-NLDC Livelihood Development Program for OFWs is another loan Facility, where an OFW can avail of Php200,000.00 or Php 1 million pesos for group borrowers.