1,600 Bicol OFW dependents get OWWA scholarship

By Sally Atento-Altea

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) provides up to ₱60,000 a year in educational assistance to each qualified dependent of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

“Our mandate is really to provide welfare services, and we are proud to say that OWWA is truly felt by our OFWs through our education program,” Jenivie D. Aguallo, OWWA officer in charge for Bicol, said during a media conference in Albay.

“It is one of OWWA’s programs that is well received and greatly valued by our clients,” she added.

For 2025, OWWA’s scholarship program is providing financial assistance to 1,555 OFW dependents in Bicol. Under the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP), qualified dependents of active OWWA members who intend to pursue four- to five-year baccalaureate degrees can receive ₱60,000 per school year in their chosen universities.

Another program, the Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP), aids families of deceased or convicted OFWs. The program provides ₱5,000 per year for elementary students, ₱8,000 for high school students, and ₱10,000 for college scholars.

Two hundred eighty-eight dependents in Bicol are benefitting from ELAP.

Aguallo said OWWA Bicol will soon accept applications for first year college students for the academic year 2026–2027.

Dependents of active OWWA members whose monthly salary does not exceed US$600 can also avail themselves of ₱20,000 yearly assistance under the OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (ODSP).

This year’s ODSP tally includes 936 dependents—650 maintained and 286 new scholars from the region.

Prospective applicants, currently in Grade 12, must take a qualifying examination organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The application period starts this October or November.

Jeremy Legaspi, a second-year computer science student, appreciates the support he receives as an OWWA scholar in Albay. “It helps lessen my father’s burden. It’s also a big help for me because I receive extra allowance for my academic expenses and for the things I need that can support my education,” Legaspi said.

First-year chemical engineering student Fiona Vejerano shared a similar view. With her 49-year-old father working overseas, she is mindful of the years of hard work he has put in to provide for their family. “As a daughter of an OFW, I will never forget the sacrifices and efforts of my father. I’m very grateful that the OWWA is here. Hopefully, he can retire soon, and I can help him in return through the scholarship,” she said. (Raiza Lucido contributed to this report/PIA Bicol/Albay)