For many years, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has offered many educational training projects to assist and support the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their dependents.
OWWA caters to a wide array of cases related to when the OWWA member OFW dies, gets convicted, or faces the death row while working in their host country, whether during the pandemic or during other natural disasters. But that’s not the end of it because OWWA also offers the Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP), a benefit project aimed to help the benefactors of the dearly departed OFWs.
Also Read: Complete List of OWWA Scholarship Programs
The OWWA ELAP is a two-part benefit program initiated by OWWA. It offers both an educational grant and/or livelihood grant so the beneficiaries of a deceased OWWA member OFW can continue with their schooling or set up a business and live a normal life. If you are a child, a spouse, or a parent of a deceased active OWWA member OFW, then you’d want to read on and learn more about how the OWWA ELAP program can benefit you. Let this article guide you through the process.
What is OWWA ELAP – Education and Livelihood Assistance Program
The OWWA Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP) scholarship assistance program is an OWWA-initiated project intended to support the surviving dependents of deceased OFWs. It is a two-part program meant to provide educational financial assistance to school-age OFW dependents in primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in school as well as livelihood grant program for the spouse or surviving parent of the deceased OFW.
Under the ELAP program, OFW beneficiaries can receive cash aid as financial assistance for their education and livelihood, provided that they are direct dependents of active OWWA members who are incarcerated or convicted and meted out the death penalty in foreign countries. The assistance covers educational financial support from primary to tertiary education lited to one eligible dependent snd an economic assistance grant to either surviving parents or the spouse to help with the family income.
Benefits of OWWA ELAP
OWWA ELAP covers two distinct beneficiaries, which means the benefits of this program fall under two different categories. One, for those who have been accepted for Educational Assistance, and two, for those entitled to a livelihood grant that they can use to set up a business.
Some of the benefits that ELAP offers include:
For the Educational Assistance:
- Cash aid or allowance for the firstborn as follows:
- primary (Kindergarten and elementary) – Php 5,000.00,
- secondary (junior and senior high school) – Php 8,000.00
- tertiary – Php 10,000.00
For the Economic Assistance:
- A Php 15,000.00 livelihood financial grant will also be given to:
- the parents (for single OFWs)
- the surviving spouse (for married OFWs)
Qualifications for OWWA ELAP
To be eligible for the benefits of the OWWA ELAP, an OWWA member OFW beneficiary must be:
- A Filipino citizen
- A legal spouse or parent of an active OWWA member OFW at the time of death, as certified by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or:
- A child of a then-active OWWA OFW member, in which case they must be:
- Single, and no older than 21 years
- In either elementary, high school or college level
- Must belong to the top 20% of their graduating batch, with a General Weighted Average (GWA) of at least 80% or its equivalent.
- A passer on the university’s current admission and retention criteria, and has not met the overall residence policy therein.
- Must pass the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) qualifying exam
- In good overall health and conduct
- Must not be a recipient of any government-funded scholarship award
- Must meet the University’s current admission and retention criteria
- Must not have exceeded the University’s overall residency policy
OWWA ELAP Application Requirements
As the ELAP is separated into two parts, there is a different set of requirements for the Educational Assistance and for when the beneficiary will claim the Economic Livelihood Assistance.
If the applicant meet the minimum qualifications, the eligible dependents may then apply for the ELAP grant by preparing the following documentary requirements based on their intended application.
For applicants of Educational Assistance:
- Duly accomplished OWWA ELAP Application Form (2 copies)
- Recent and identical 2×2 ID photo (2 copies)
- OFW’s death certificate, or any document of similar nature
- Official transmission record from consulate or embassy
- Any of the following documents to prove/certify relationship with deceased OFW:
- PSA-issued birth certificate of the applicant, if the applicant is a child of the deceased OFW
- PSA-issued birth certificate of both applicant and OFW, if the applicant is a sibling of the deceased OFW
- PSA-issued Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR), if the OFW is single
- Proof of Enrollment
- Certificate of Registration (COR)
- Enrollment Assessment Form (EAF)
- Certificate of Enrollment (COE)
- Enrollment document (Electronic Format)
- Evaluation form or Admission Test Scores issued by the university or school registrar
- Proof of active OWWA membership at the time of death of the member OFW:
- Official receipt of OWWA membership contribution
- OFW Info Sheet
- Health certificate
- Good moral certificate issued by college administrator, school principal, or guidance counselor
- Sworn statements, each certifying:
- That the applicant is part of the top 20% of their graduating batch,
- That the applicant has a GWA of at least 80% or their equivalent
- That the applicant has not taken any post-secondary courses
- That the applicant has not taken the EDSP Qualifying Exam
- That the applicant is a non-recipient of any government-funded scholarship grant
- That the applicant is not a dual citizen
- That the applicant has no pending resident immigration application in progress, duly signed by the parent or legal guardian.
- Original Scholarship Agreement form
For applicants of Economic Livelihood Assistance:
- Duly accomplished OWWA ELAP Application Form
- Recent, identical Passport-size ID photo (2 copies)
- Proof of active OWWA membership at the time of death of the member OFW:
- Official receipt of OWWA membership contribution
- OFW Info Sheet
- Certificate of receipt of livelihood package
- If the applicant is not the intended beneficiary: Written consent from the intended beneficiary, either spouse or parent, stating that they are not interested in the program and are delegating authority to the applicant to assume responsibility for the family.
Application Procedures for OWWA ELAP
To proceed with their application, applicants must follow the following steps:
- Go to your local OWWA Regional/Satellite Welfare Office (RWO/SWO).
- You may need to set up an appointment before visiting the OWWA RWO of your choice. To do so, you may either:
- Use the appointment scheduler available on the OWWA website (appointment.owwa.gov.ph).
- Use the appointment scheduler on the OWWA Mobile App.
- On the selected date of the appointment, visit the selected OWWA RWO where you made an appointment, preferably, the one closest to the deceased member OFW’s permanent address.
- Secure a queuing number and wait for your turn at the queue.
- Secure a copy of the application form at the closest OWWA RWO or SWO.
- Fill in all required information and attach the documentary requirements.
- Submit your application in person at the nearest OWWA Office.
- Alternative submission: Send Application Form, Evaluation Form and required documentation to Courier Services (LBC, J&T, JRS, etc.)
- Patiently wait for a notification via text, email, or call from an authorized OWWA representative to confirm your slot in the program.
Important Reminders about OWWA ELAP
In the application for the benefits of the OWWA ELAP, here are a few things that you need to remember:
- OWWA ELAP applications, as well as other OWWA program applications, with incomplete or invalidated documentary requirements will not be processed so make sure you double-check your documents.
- Accepted applicants will receive a copy of downloadable and printable Scholarship Agreement Form.
- Applicants must download, print, sign, and notarize the Scholarship Agreement Form and return it to the OWWA Regional Office.
- For tracking purposes, the applicants will receive a serial reference/tracking number via SMS or email.
- Before being endorsed by DOLE Regional Offices, OWWA and its Regional and Satellite Welfare Offices (RWOs/SWOs) will obtain and review the OFW dependents’ applications.
- The list of authorized beneficiaries will be sent to the DOLE Central Office by DOLE RWOs.
- OWWA will publicly announce the final list of accepted beneficiaries.
- Only after the application has been approved will the applicant receive a Notice of Award (NOA).
- The NOA is only valid for 45 days, so you have to make sure you get it and use it within the designated time frame, otherwise you will have to wait for the next scheduled appointment.
- The eligible beneficiaries of the program will receive the grant via bank remittances or electronic payment facility direct to the student beneficiary’s bank account within two (2) weeks of the acceptance of their application.
- To receive annual remittances, eligible beneficiaries must have their own bank account in their name or a savings account in the name of the eligible child or relative beneficiary. Otherwise, the grant will not be sent.
- The provisions and benefits of the ELAP Educational Assistance are not supposed to cover the full tuition fees. Instead, the grant will come in the form of allowances meant to pay for various expenditures like books and other school supplies.
Understanding ELAP: How to Apply for the ELAP Grants (in Video)
Watch this Youtube video posted by Zennibit about how you can avail of the benefits and privileges of the OWWA Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some commonly asked questions and answers regarding the OWWA ELAP project:
1. What is OWWA ELAP?
The Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP) is a two-part cash aid program initiated by OWWA to support the qualified dependents of active OWWA member OFWs who were incarcerated and sentenced to the death row, or have died in the host country.
2. How would I know if my application has been accepted?
Once the application is accepted, the applicant will receive a notification of acceptance, via call, text, or email from an authorized representative from the DOLE or OWWA Regional or satellite welfare offices that cover the applicant’s area.
3. How much monetary assistance can I get as an eligible beneficiary of OWWA ELAP?
If it’s under the Educational Assistance Program of the OWWA ELAP, eligible beneficiaries can get the following amount:
- Php 5,000.00 (Kindergarten and Elementary)
- Php 8,000.00 (High school)
- Php 10,000.00 (College)
For those availing of the Economic Livelihood Assistance under OWWA ELAP, the cash aid amounts to:
- Php 15,000.00 livelihood financial grant will also be given to either the parents (for single or unmarried OFWs) or the surviving spouse (for married OFWs).
4. Is it possible for my sibling and child to participate in the ELAP Program at the same time?
No. Only one beneficiary, typically the firstborn (if it’s an OFW’s children) will receive the cash aid offered by the OWWA ELAP scholarship grant, just like how it is in other OWWA scholarship program.
5. Is it guaranteed that my child will be able to receive the ELAP program grant?
No. Just like in other OWWA programs, since the application is only valid while the funds are available, there is no assurance that your school-age child will be granted with the ELAP financial assistance. It’s possible that the child will be granted the privileges of the ELAP Program if they complete and followed the requirements of the program, but it will be subject to the review and assessment of OWWA and the ELAP assessment boards.
6. Can I apply for both the child and spouse/parent of the OFW and avail both the educational assistance and economic assistance?
No, under the OWWA ELAP program, OFW dependents can only apply for educational assistance for the child, or economic assistance for either spouse or parent, if the OFW is unmarried. This is true provided that they meet the qualifications for either one.
7. If I have other questions or concerns regarding the OWWA ELAP, to whom should I reach out to?
For any problems, concerns, or inquiries regarding the program, it’s best to reach out to OWWA directly, either by making a call, sending an email, or making a personal visit to any OWWA ROs. To make it easier for you to reach them, here’s the complete contact information of the OWWA head office:
Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA)
Office Address: F.B. Harrison St, Pasay, Metro Manila
Tel. No.: 8891-7601 to 24
OWWA hotline number: 1348, (02) 1348 (Regional), (+632) 1348 (International)
OWWA Email Address: owwacares@owwa.gov.ph, commandcenter@dole.gov.ph
OWWA Facebook page: https://web.facebook.com/OWWAofficial
OWWA website: https://owwa.gov.ph/
You may also download and install the OWWA Mobile App from either Google Play Store or Apple Store so you can stay updated on the latest OWWA projects and programs created specifically for OWWA member Filipino OFWs who wish to keep themselves abreast with the OWWA initiatives. You may also contact the nearest OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO) or any of their Satellite Offices through their Facebook pages for more comprehensive information.
Some other contact information you can call about OWWA ELAP:
Cellular Numbers: (Smart) 09615958438, (Globe) 09052535680
Landline Numbers: (02) 85680986, (02) 85680984, (02) 85273476, (02) 85273525, (02) 85272115, (02) 53096605, (02) 83538067
DOLE-Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) – (02) 8527-2539
Summary
As OWWA continues to support their OFW members along with the rest of the migrant Filipinos and their dependents, they also continue to launch and implement programs that showcase their hope for a better life for the OFWs. In doing so, OWWA ensures that their programs and efforts continue to help the OFW families, whether or not the OFW is still around.
Such advocacy is best showcased in one of their programs, the OWWA Educational Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP). Under this program, survivors of deceased or incarcerated OFWs can avail cash aid from either one of the two types of benefits: educational assistance or livelihood assistance. Not only foes OWWA hope to help the child of the deceased OFW secure a better future, they also hope that there is an option available for the OFW’s surviving spouse that will help him or her support the rest of the family.
Having said that, we hope that through this guide, potential beneficiaries learned about the process on how to join the OWWA Educational Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP) as this a good program available to the qualified dependents of deceased OFWs.
NOTE: You may contact your nearest OWWA regional office through their respective Facebook page or here: https://www.owwa.gov.ph/index.php/contact-us.
If you need more information regarding the fineprint of the OWWA ELAP or any other OWWA programs, contact your nearest OWWA regional office through their respective Facebook page or via this link: https://www.owwa.gov.ph/index.php/contact-us. You may also visit their official OWWA website at www.owwa.gov.ph or their official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OWWAofficial.
Other ways to reach OWWA is available below:
Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA)
Office Address: F.B. Harrison St, Pasay, Metro Manila
Tel. No.: 8891-7601 to 24
OWWA hotline number: 1348, (02) 1348 (Regional), (+632) 1348 (International)
OWWA Email Address: owwacares@owwa.gov.ph, commandcenter@dole.gov.ph
OWWA Facebook page: https://web.facebook.com/OWWAofficial
OWWA website: https://owwa.gov.ph/