Pia Wurtzbach touts easy process in getting OWWA e-card in Dubai

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Former 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey, who now lives in this city, has vouched for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) e-cards, having undergone the quick application process herself.

“Napakadali at napakabilis. Basta nasa sa inyo na yung mga papeles na kailangan ninyo, within five minutes makukuha nyo na agad itong OWWA e-card ninyo,” Wurtzbach said in a video recently posted on OWWA’s Facebook page. The necessary documents are one’s passport and employment card.

(It’s easy and fast. Within five minutes, you can have your OWWA e-card so long as you have all the necessary papers.)

In July 2025, Wurtzbach was named OWWA brand ambassador and was tasked to promote the agency’s welfare programs, encourage registration, and highlight the importance of the OWWA e-card.

So far, 20 establishments – such as eateries usually owned by former OFWs, medical facilities, learning institutions, and care box companies – have partnered with the OWWA e-card program in Dubai. The partner establishments provide discounts to OFWs availing of their products or services.

Meanwhile, over 8,000 OFWs in Bahrain and Qatar got their OWWA e-cards through the recently concluded three-day Serbisyo Caravan in Qatar.

The Serbisyo Caravan gathered key Philippine government agencies such as the OWWA, Migrant Workers Office (MWO), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Social Security System (SSS) and the Pag-IBIG Fund, to offer vital services to OFWs in different parts of the world.

The OWWA said over 1,000 OFWs availed of the services in the Qatar leg of the Serbisyo Caravan, including securing their e-cards.

The OWWA e-card costs $25 and is valid for two years. It is proof of one’s active membership with the OWWA and provides OFWs with easier access to programs and services like repatriation, reintegration, training, and social benefits.

In 2025, the OWWA issued more than 350,000 OWWA e-cards. There are 200 e-card partners all over the world, including 38 in Hong Kong and 20 in Dubai.

There are 2.6 million active OWWA members around the globe, of which 263,000 are based in the UAE. — JMA, GMA Integrated News