DAVAO CITY (November 7)– The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has launched the first phase of its OFW e-card project which is expected to benefit an estimated 250,000 Balik Manggagawa OFWs.
The e-card can be used for OWWA services such as welfare programs, scholarship applications, training programs, and other social benefits.
OFWs who are active members of OWWA under the Balik Manggagawa program with valid overseas employment certificates (OECs) may apply for the e-card. The Balik Manggagawa program covers OFWs who frequently return to the country for short vacations.
“We will soon be working on the next phase that will benefit more OFWs and will include more and better features of the card,” Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary and OWWA Board of Trustees chair Silvestre Bello III said.
To apply for such programs, OFWs only have to show their card or the digital copy of the card, which has a QR code that can be easily scanned to verify authenticity.
The e-card functions both as a membership card and as a valid ID that canbe used when dealing with various government agencies involved in overseas deployment. Application can also be done online by visiting the OWWA website.
It also functions as a valid ID for Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), OWWA, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Overseas Labor Offices.
The e-card is available for free and may be claimed upon return to the Philippines at any OWWA regional office nationwide. – Jiann Padillo/ NewsLine
