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3 Government Assistance for OFW Returnees

OFWs are often called modern-day heroes for a reason. This is due to their sacrifices and the risks they are willing to take to provide their family with a comfortable life despite not being with them for a long time. Plus, the remittances that they make are a huge part to pay to the contribution to the country’s economic growth. Striving hard every day just to have something to send their families for their monthly expenses, even if their current work is not related to the profession they have at home, is hard to give up, but it is something they are willing to take.

Minutes to Read: 8 minutes

Age Bracket: 21 – 40 years old

With these being said, once our OFWs decide to come home for good, they deserve support and assistance that will help them come back home and start a new life through various reintegration programs. Government institutions usually offer this reintegration program. It may not be known to everyone, but here’s a guide to educate yourself about the program.

What is an OFW Reintegration Program?

There are millions of Overseas Filipino Workers in the Philippines, and it is not shocking to see that a lot decided to go home when the pandemic started. During the research done in 2020 by the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were approximately 1.77 million Overseas Filipino Workers during the period of April to September 2020. The number hasn’t been updated until now, but we can imagine how fast the number has risen given the desperation and need of Filipinos to have a source of income.

However, the Statista Research Department’s research shows that about 2.24 million Overseas Filipino Workers went home due to the Covid-19 outbreak. This information is backed up by the IOM UN Migration Report, showing that half of the OFW returnees are due to Covid-19 reseasons.

Other than this, there are various reasons workers abroad decide to come home. It can be conflict or harassment at their current job, political conflict, or policy reform changes in their host country, or they are victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking. Any of these reasons can be distressing to a worker who’s been far from home for a long time and deserves proper care and assistance once they reach home. In cases like these, OFWs should avail the reintegration program that is available to them.

An OFW reintegration program is a service created specifically for Overseas Filipino Worker Returnees to develop and help them to become productive after returning home to the country and allowing them to access various projects and services that will enable them to recover from the sudden loss of employment and social cost of migration due to various unexpected events.

Landbank Reintegration Program

With Landbank’s understanding of OFW’s financial difficulties during the pandemic, partnered with the Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA), Landbank offers business loans to provide business opportunities to Overseas Filipino Workers that affected overseas deployment. Using the loan provided, OFWs can use it as business capital or a Fixed Asset Acquisition to run their own business that acts as an alternative to their former employment abroad. The qualified project for this loan would be any project with a confirmed market or purchase order that can come up with a net monthly income of at least ₱10,000.

Loan Features

Loanable Amount: Minimum of ₱100,000
- For Single proprietorship: ₱2 million
- For a group of OFWs (partnership, corporation, or cooperative): ₱5 million
Loan Term:
- Short term: Maximum of one (1) year
- Term Loan: Maximum of seven (7) years; inclusive of two (2) years grace period
Interest Rate: a fixed rate of 7.5% per annum during the duration of the loan
Collateral:
- Object of Financing
- Collaterals or securities acceptable to the bank

Qualifications

OFWs certified by OWWA on membership and capacity-building programs attended eligible projects.
Viable projects belonging but not limited to, the following fields: franchising, Agri and non-Agri production and marketing, construction, rental, service, trading, transportation
Contract tie – up with the top 1,000 corporations

Requirements

OWWA certification that borrower is a bonafide overseas worker has completed Enterprise
Development Training
A business plan on the specific project that will generate income for OFW and his/her family
With contract growing agreement, purchase order, or service contract, if applicable.
Certificate of Registration with DTI
Bio-data of applicant
Mayor’s Permit
Income Tax Return (last three years), if applicable
Financial Statements (last three years, BIR-filed), if applicable
Latest Interim Financial Statement, if applicable
Statement of Assets and Liabilities

OWWA Reintegration Program

The Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) aims to provide OFWs that have returned to the country to help them become productive and capable of preparing and rebuilding their lives after a distressing situation in their former employment. Various Training will be provided to them for free such as Financial Literacy, Value Formation, Techno Skills, Capacity Building, and Entrepreneurial Development. Additionally, to help them develop self-employment skills, they will be granted a Livelihood Assistance and Service Package and an Education Program for OFW dependents.

On-Site Reintegration

To know more about the free trainings that are provided on the reintegration program, I have listed some information to help you have an insight on what they can learn in every training they will attend.

1. Financial Literacy Training

This training is provided by both Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) and National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO). The training is mainly focused on financial literacy, which will allow them to develop their financial skills, financial management and learn to budget and invest, which is the main factor in rebuilding their lives.

2. Value Formation Training

This training will allow OFW returnees to develop and improve their attitude and behavior to understand the importance of one’s life.

3. Techno Skill

Since the country has now adopted modern-day technology, developing one’s techno skills is a must to be more efficient and capable of performing technology-related tasks in any workplace.

1. Capacity Building

Developing one’s knowledge, abilities, strength, equipment, and other resources that must be trained is essential to make them utterly reliable for any given task and stay relevant to the rapid changes in the environment.

2. Entrepreneurial Development Training

Educating them on how to manage their own business properly and successfully—helping them turn their business ideas into business plans. With the help of Financial Literacy Training, they will also be prepared for other roles they have to take care of, such as business planning, business management, and entrepreneurial role.

In-Country Reintegration

1. Community Organizing

After a distressing experience before returning home, it is essential to improve all the OFW returnees’ social health and well-being to become well-rounded and socially active people in their respective local areas.

2. Business Counseling

Since OWWA also focuses on providing them with a business that can act up as their source of income, business counseling or business development service will be incredibly beneficial for them to mentor and support them by giving them advice, allowing them to have access to business consultation, assisting them to become productive, and giving them a business network that can support to sustain and to expand their business further.

1. Job Referrals

Suppose the returning OFW does not wish to start a business and prefers to work back in the country. In that case, job referrals will be given for them to have better opportunities and a greater probability of getting hired and getting the job they desire.

2. Skills and Entrepreneurship Program (OFW-RISE)

Partnered with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Coca-Cola Philippines, Philippine Trade Trading Center (PTTC), and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), this program aims to provide access to new business and livelihood opportunities. Overall, TESDA will manage and facilitate the said program by providing a management team that will supervise the program’s overall implementation and processes the application to the OWWA Livelihood programs.

Livelihood Assistance Services

1. Balik Pinas, Balik Hanap Buhay Program

The program provides a non-cash livelihood package to OFW returnees and/or non-active OWWA members that can finance and accommodate them and give them immediate relief due to the horrible experiences and stress from the host country they are working in. The program is solely for OFWs who are planning to stay in the country for good.

Eligibility Requirement

Must be an OFW returnee or an active or inactive OWWA member that experienced:
- Loss of job due to political reasons or war in their host country
- Victims of illegal recruitment, any type of abuse, and human trafficking.
- A distressed OFW who’s under the care of a Migrant Worker and Overseas Filipino Resource Centers while they are waiting for their repatriation.
- A laid-off OFW due to employer’s financial difficulties.

2. Balik Pinay, Balik Hanap Buhay Program

This program is intended for women OFW returnees to train them and distribute starter kits to provide them with the livelihood skills they need to empower and allow themselves to put up a small business or livelihood on their own. Priority will be given to women OFWs that are victims of illegal recruitment, human trafficking, unkindness, harassment, and other distressful situations.

3. Education and Livelihood Assistance Program

In cases of death of the OFW who are an active member of OWWA, the dependent or the child will be granted financial assistance. ₱5,000 for elementary, ₱8,000 for high school, and ₱10,000 for college. Additionally, ₱15,000 livelihood cash assistance will be given to the spouse; if the OFW is single, the cash assistance will be given to the parents.

Eligibility Requirement

Application Form (the cash assistance given is only allowed to be used for self-employment or for putting up or expanding livelihood projects)
Certificate of Entrepreneurial Development Training
Business Proposal approved by RWO Director indicating sustainability and feasibility of chosen livelihood.
Proof of repatriation to the Philippines (may it be passport, airline ticket, or travel documents)

Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Pag-unlad ng Samahang OFWs (Tulong PUSO)

Under the Tulong PUSO program, assistance will be given to OFWs to form, enhance, and restore livelihood projects of OFWs. A one-time grant will be given to them in the form of equipment, tools, raw materials, jigs, and other support services, which amount will be based on the project requirement with a maximum of ₱1 million for OFW organizations with more than 51 members.

Requirements

Application Form
Certificate of Entrepreneurial Development Training (Start-Up)
Certification from the Regional Welfare Office Director that the OFC – applicant is a genuine OFW group that OWWA recognizes
Copy of SEC/DOLE/CDA Registration
Business Permit
Beneficiary Pole
Board resolution that will designate a Business Manager who is responsible and has the authority to file and apply on behalf of the organization
Business Proposal that indicates that the adherent has an equity equivalent to at least 20% of the TPC

DOLE Reintegration Program

The service or package offered by DOLE is a set of mechanisms or interventions that facilitate the safe and productive return of the OFW returnees. The program will allow the OFW and their families to access a wide variety of services that will help them cover the social cost and impact of the sudden loss of employment due to unexpected events. Besides assisting them to cope with the loss and horrible experience, the program also provides employment and re-employment to OFWs who wish to continue working. If they decide to open up a business of their own, a business or enterprise development facilitation will be given.

Services Offered

1. Psycho-Social Component

This program consists of psycho-social counseling to reduce stress and learn values formation and financial literary, and capacity building through assistance in organizing community and maintaining OFW Family Circles (OFCs)

2. Livelihood Assitance Service

Under this program, they offer the same services provided by OWWA, such as:

Balik-Pinas, Balik-HanapBuhay Program
Balik-Pinay, Balik-HanapBuhay Program
Financial Awareness Seminar (FAS) and Small Business Management Training (SBMT)
Livelihood Development Assistance Program (LDAP)
Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)

Final Thoughts

Knowing all the benefits that you can have in cases when OFWs decide to return home due to horrible circumstances and experiences allows them to maximize the membership and benefits that they can have and ensure that they get all the financial support and assistance that they deserve from the government that you’re entitled to.

Not everyone may know about the reintegration program, but reading this article can be a start for you to learn about a thing or two about the services that you can have that you can also share to your fellow OFWs that are in need.