Important Benefits of being an OWWA Member

Aspiring OFWs at this point will still have to go through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which is a member institution and an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which is mandated to protect and promote the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as well as their dependents.

OWWA Membership comes with a fee, but it also provides a lot of benefits to OFW members. In this post, we will share the steps to becoming an OWWA member, as well as the important benefits that come along with it.

Credits: OWWA/Facebook

Here are the Top Benefits of Being a Member of OWWA

Becoming an OWWA member is simple and easy as it comes along with processing your documents for employment overseas.  You can become a member through either of the following:

  • Compulsory membership upon processing of contract at the POEA
  • Voluntary Membership at job sites located abroad.

Note: To become a member, the OFW has to pay a fee of USD 25. The membership coverage is applicable for up to 2 years; then, you can renew your membership before the expiration date.

Once you become a member, you will become eligible to avail the following benefits offered by OWWA specifically for OFWs and their dependents. These include the following benefits:

  1. Life and Social Benefits
    • Coverage worth PHP 100,000 if a member passed due to natural causes or PHP 200,000 if due to an accident while overseas.
    • Coverage of PHP 50,000 for partial disability and PHP 100,000 for total permanent disability.
    • Coverage of an additional PHP 20,000 given to legal heirs for funeral expenses.
  2. Educational Benefits for the OFW and/or qualified dependents
    • Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP)
    • OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (OFW DSP)
    • Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)
    • Seafarer’s Upgrading Program (SUP)
    • Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)
    • Information Technology (IT) Training
  3. Repatriation Program for Distressed OFWs
    • Program Repatriation program for distressed OFWs
    • Ticket back to the PhilippinesAirport assistance
    • The temporary shelter at the OWWA Halfway House
    • Provision for OFW’s trip back to their provinces
  1. Reintegration Program
    • Helps OFWs in finding livelihood projects if they want to come home for good
    • Provides lending assistance at reasonable rates to start a business
    • Skills Training
    • Community-based income-generating projects
    • It offers psycho-social services like capacity-building, family counseling, and stress debriefing.

Aside from being authorized to work overseas, becoming a member of OWWA provides you with critical benefits that OFWs can definitely enjoy in the long-term. Other than that, the membership enjoins you in a community where OFWs can freely address and relay their concerns to a legal body designated to ensure the welfare of workers.

Disclaimer: The content shared in this article is for information-sharing purposes only. If you have specific queries and concerns regarding your OWWA membership or would like to get important updates from OWWA, please visit their official website.

ALSO READ: Guide in Applying for OWWA Scholarship for OFW Dependents