OWWA opens 10k more scholarship slots for OFWs’ kids

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said it will open 10,000 additional scholarship slots for children of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) this year.

OWWA administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said this is due to the agency’s record-high trust fund of $368 million for 2026 – the highest amount since 1982.

“Ang OWWA Trust Fund ay protektado, at hindi lamang protektado, lalong lumalago (The OWWA Trust Fund is protected, and it also grows),” Caunan said.

In December 2024, the OWWA Trust Fund was at $350 million.

“Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon sa kasaysayan ng OWWA, ito ang pinakamalaking increase sa loob ng 43 taon (For the first time in OWWA’s history, this is the biggest increase in the past 43 years),” Caunan said.

Because of this, the OWWA administrator said they will open 10,000 additional slots for scholarships for children of OFWs. There are already 15,000 existing OWWA scholars.

There is also the new Alagang OWWA Fund, a new fund that supports various OFW welfare programs for health and livelihood in the Philippines and other parts of the world.

“Habang tumataas ang pondo at tiwala sa OWWA, tumataas din ang expectations ng ating mga OFWs – at handa kaming tugunan iyon. Ibalik sa OFW ang pondo, ibalik ang benepisyo nang maramdaman nila ang tunay na alaga mula sa pamahalaan,” said Caunan.

(While the funds and trust in the OWWA is growing, the expectations of our OFWs also grows – and we are ready to respond to that. Return the fund to them in the form of benefits so that they will feel real care from the government.)

She also assured that the agency will look after the fund collected from the OFW membership fee of $25.

Caunan said there were 2.6 million active OWWA members as of December 2025, higher by 600,000 from the two million OWWA members in December 2024. — JMA, GMA Integrated News