OWWA to give benefits to family members and kin of OFWs

TACLOBAN CITY- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is expanding its program this year by giving benefits to families and relatives of active members of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Alberto Peñaflor, OWWA information officer, said that for a US$ 25.00 membership contribution, an OWWA member is entitled to health care, disability and death benefits, education and training benefits, workers assistance and on-site services and the social services and family welfare assistance.

“All of these programs are made for assistance to all active OFW members and their dependents. At the same time, they will make their lives productive while they are waiting here for their OFW relatives,” Penaflor said.

He said that the death and burial benefits are under the health care, disability and death benefits where OWWA    provides the biggest financial assistance. For the death benefit, a member is entitled to P100, 000.00 for the duration of his employment contract for death due to natural cause and P200, 000.00 for death due to accident. While for the burial benefit P20, 000.00 shall be provided as a rider in case of the member’s death.

Moreover, there are three programs under the Education and Training Benefits. These are the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP), the OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (OFW DSP) and the Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (OFW SESP). For the EDSP a maximum of Php60, 000.00 per year shall be provided to qualified beneficiaries of OFWs and studying a four-to-five-year baccalaureate courses. While for the second program (OFW DSP), OWWA provides a financial assistance of P20, 000.00 per year to poor but deserving dependents of OFWs with a monthly salary of not more than US$400.00 month. The qualifiers enroll also in a four-to-five-year baccalaureate or associate course leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree in a state college or university. And the third one (SESP), a maximum of P14, 500.00 per course which shall be provided to qualified OFWs or their beneficiary- this will be for short-term vocational or technicians course for OFWs and their dependents.

There is a repatriation program under the Workers Assistance and On-site Services where it include negotiation with employers and agents, repatriation of distressed workers, human remains and belongings, airport assistance, OWWA Halfway House accommodation and coordination with families through the OWWA Regional Welfare Offices (RWOs).

The Reintegration Program under the Social Services and Family Welfare Assistance, member-OFWs will have economic and social reintegration through business counseling, community organizing, financial literacy seminars, networking with support institutions, social preparation programs and livelihood loans. (LUZVIMINDA M. RIMANDIMAN- LNU Intern)

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Posted by lsde on Jul 28 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry