OWWA’s Tabang OFW Program provides educational assistance to dependents of OFWs enrolled in college. A person who has lost their job, passed away, or been repatriated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for this aid.
Overview
The desire to provide a better future for their families often drives Filipinos to work abroad. The experience of working abroad is not always fruitful, and it is not always evident once OFWs return home as well. Many people have been forced to leave their jobs due to maltreatment, unjust working conditions, or retrenchment when their employers lose money.
Under these circumstances, government agencies like Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) play a vital role in protecting millions of OFWs.
In response to the UniFAST Act (Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act), they have implemented Tabang OFW, a collaborative project between DOLE and OWWA.Benefits
Qualified applicants are entitled to a one-time grant of PhP30,000 for their educational expenses.
Keep in mind that this is a scholarship grant and not a loan. Therefore, there’s no need to worry about paying it back, because this is one of OWWA’s projects targeted to assist OFWs and their dependents.
Who Are The Beneficiaries
To be deemed eligible for the Tabang OFW Project, the dependent must:
One (1) college-level is dependent of OFW who was repatriated, removed from work or passed away in time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who Are Considered the ‘dependent” of OFW?
- For married OFWs – unmarried children under 30 years old.
- For unmarried OFWs – unmarried children/sibling/niece/nephew under 30 years old.
Qualifications
- Filipino citizen
- Admission and retention requirements from state universities and colleges (SUCs), CHED-recognized universities and colleges (LUCs), and private higher education institutions (HEIs).
- Haven’t been expelled from any higher education institutions (HUIs)
- Enrolled in an undergraduate post-secondary program of SUCs, LUCs, and HEIs.
- Dependent of an OFW certified by DOLE-OWWA who was repatriated, removed from work, or passed away due to COVID-19.
- Not a beneficiary of any government scholarship grants.
Requirements of UniFAST
- Receipt of proof of enrollment [i.e., Assessment Form, Admission Test Result, etc] in electronic format.
Requirements of OWWA
- Passport and other travel documents
- Proof of arrival if a returning OFW
- Proof of displacement
- Death certificate if the OFW passed away
- Embassy/Consulate official transmission
- Proof of relationship of dependent (Dependent birth certificate at Marriage Contract/CENOMAR ng OFW)
- Affidavit stating that the dependent is not a beneficiary of any government scholarship or grant.
Steps on How To Apply
Step 1: The OFW will submit an application at the ease.owwa.gov.ph
Step 2: The OWWA Regional Welfare Offices (RWOs) will be the ones to accept and process the application before it gets endorsed to DOLE Regional Offices (ROs)
Step 3: The DOLE ROs will be the ones to submit the list of approved beneficiaries to the DOLE Central Office
Step 4: DOLE CO will consolidate the list before it is submitted to CHED-UniFAST.
Step 5: The DOLE CO will be responsible for preparing the documents for the fund transfer.
Source OWWA
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