In many cases, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) take their chances abroad so they can earn and save a bigger chunk of money. Most would say it is so their children and families can live a better life and achieve their dreams. However, not all get such plans fulfilled, which is why it was a huge help for the OFWs when the Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) launched Project EASE — an educational assistance project meant to help COVID-affected OFWs send their kids to school.
Also Read:
Although there are other OWWA educational assistance programs, in this article, we will help you learn more about Project EASE, an OWWA scholarship program that assures its beneficiaries of an annual educational grant for up to four (4) years or until college graduation. If you are interested, here’s how you can avail of the benefits and privileges of Project EASE.
What is Project EASE?
OWWA’s Educational Assistance through Scholarship in Emergencies, otherwise known as Project EASE, is a component of the CARE amelioration program package which was developed to ease the plight of OFWs affected by COVID-19. As the project name EASE suggests, the program is meant to ease the difficulties of the affected migrant workers due to the impact of the health crisis.
To do so, OWWA, via Project EASE, offers educational assistance to qualified college-level dependents of active OWWA member-OFWs who either lost their jobs or were repatriated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the program, qualified dependent of a repatriated active OWWA member-OFW from the declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak on February 1, 2020 up until the pandemic is declared controlled and managed by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other competent authorities are eligible to apply for the benefits and privileges of the grant.
According to the OWWA Board of Trustees, the agency has allocated a total of Php 400 million pesos, in the first year of the implementation of the project alone. They also announced that the budget for this grant will be allocated straight from the OWWA fund so the agency can provide support to member OFWs with college-level dependents, and keep up with its mandate to provide holistic programs and services to the OFWs and their families.
Benefits of Availing the Project EASE Grant
As one of OWWA’s initiatives to support the education and development of the member-OFWs dependents, Project EASE aims to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the OFWs, particularly to those who lost their jobs or were sent home ahead of schedule.
Under this program, the active OFW’s qualified beneficiary can receive an annual educational assistance in the form of a scholarship grant for college-level students. The grant offers Php 10,000.00 per annum and this grant will continue for a maximum of four (4) years for one college-level OFW dependent in the family.
Project EASE Qualifications
Project EASE is available to qualified dependents of active OFW-members, whether land-based, sea-based, or Balik-Manggagawa workers, who lost their jobs or were repatriated any time between the declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak on February 2020 until the pandemic is declared controlled and managed by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other competent authorities.
These qualified dependents, however, must meet any of the following criteria before they can qualify as grantee of Project EASE:
- Must be a child of a married or single parent OFW; or
- A sibling, niece, or nephew of an unmarried OFW;
- Must be under 30 years of age;
- Must be a Filipino citizen;
- Must be enrolled in either a state university or college (SUC), a CHED-accredited local university or college (LUC) or a private higher education institution (HEI);
- Must not have exceeded the maximum residence in the institution where he/she is enrolled;
- Must meet the university’s or college’s current admission and retention criteria;
- Must not have been subject to expulsion;
- Must be a dependent of an active OWWA member.
- Must be a dependent of an OFW who has been repatriated or displaced at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Must not be a recipient of any other government-funded scholarship program.
The following are not covered by Project EASE:
- Those with existing scholarship grants under ODSP, EDSP, ELAP-Education and CMWSP
- Inactive OWWA members
- Undocumented workers
Requirements when Availing the Benefits of Project EASE
Applicants who are interested in the benefits of the Project EASE educational grant must be able to present the following documents for screening and approval:
- Duly-accomplished application for Project EASE secured through online application at the OWWA official website or by sending an email to ease@owwa.gov.ph
- Valid Passport of the OWWA-member OFW
- Valid and Original Philippine Passport
- Proof of OWWA Membership for validation
- Membership Record secured from the OWWA RWO
- Official receipt of OWWA membership contribution
- OFW E-Card
- Any proof of active OWWA membership
- Proof of arrival which could be either of the following:
- boarding pass
- arrival stamp
- Flight ticket of boarding pass or arrival stamp/sticker attached in the Passport evidencing return to the country from 01 February 2020 onwards
- Proof of dismissal/repatriation
- Any proof of relationship to the OFW maybe any of the following:
- Birth Certificate of the applicant, if the applicant is a child of active OWWA member OFW who is married or single
- CENOMAR of OFW and birth certificate of OFW child, sibling, niece, or nephew, if the active OWWA member OFW is single.
- Certificate of Grade of the dependent from the previous/last semester enrolled in
Step-by-Step Procedure: Project EASE Application Procedures
To avail of the benefits of Project EASE, qualified active OWWA member OFWs who returned to the country from February 1, 2020 onwards may send applications on behalf of their student beneficiaries by following these steps:
- Accomplish the application form. The form can be accessed by:
- Using the dedicated portal at the OWWA website which is accessible via this link here: https://ease.owwa.gov.ph/.
- Sending an email to the Project EASE dedicated email address at: ease@owwa.gov.ph.
- Verify all the inputted information.
- Attach all the necessary documentary requirements.
- Submit the application through either of the following methods:
- By using the OWWA EASE application form online via the OWWA website to register your details.
- By sending an email to the respective OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO) closest to the member OFWs’ permanent address.
- By walking in to the OWWA RWO and personally processing the application.
- Secure an appointment to the nearest OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO):
- 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 that is closest to the OFW-member’s permanent address.
- Secure a queuing number and wait for your turn at the queue by the Assigned Guard Or The Registration Desk at OWWA RWO (1 minute).
- Present the OFW ID or the valid original Philippine passport of the OWWA-member OFW along with the duly accomplished application form and all the other required documents to the processor or evaluator at the Education and Training Unit or focal for verification of Membership Record. (10 minutes)
- Wait for the focal on the Education and Training Unit to verify the ID and the OWWA membership of the OFW applicant and evaluate the documents submitted by the OFW applicant.
- If the membership is proven to be valid, then you may submit the Application Form along with the rest of the documentary requirements.
- Secure an appointment to the nearest OWWA Regional Welfare Office (RWO):
- By engaging a courier service. If the Internet connectivity does not allow you to send the application online. Simply save and print your application form along with all documentary requirements for mailing to the local OWWA office.
- Once submitted, the applicant will receive a reference/tracking number. This tracking number will be sent via text or email and can be used for tracking the status of the application.
- The applicant should receive a notification either via text, email or call, if the application is approved.
- Once the application is approved, a downloadable and printable Scholarship Agreement will be sent via email.
- Applicants must download and print this for signature and notarization.
- Once signed and notarized, the Scholarship Agreement must be sent back to your local OWWA office or the OWWA RWO via courier service.
- The qualified applicants will then be notified via text or email as to how to claim your grant.
In light of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, Project EASE applications are to be filed online in order to prevent congestion in OWWA offices.
Project EASE Application Form Online
You can easily access the OWWA EASE application form online and register your details at https://ease.owwa.gov.ph/.
How to Track the Status of your Project EASE Application
If you need to know or inquire about the status of your Project EASE application, you may also opt to track your own application online. To do so, simply follow these steps:
- Visit the link on the OWWA website available via https://easetracker.owwa.gov.ph/.
- Key in your name and email address in the tracker form.
- Hit the “Search” button. This should let you check the status of your application online.
Important Reminders
- OFW couples who are both eligible for the program shall be entitled to only one (1) slot.
- Only one Project EASE grantee per family is allowed.
- OWWA allocated a total of 400 Million for the first year of the implementation of the Project EASE.
- The funds for the project will be sourced straight from the OWWA fund.
- Qualified beneficiaries of the Project EASE will be announced in public.
- The payment of the educational assistance shall be made through bank remittance and will go straight to the bank account of student-beneficiary.
- The applicant shall receive a serial reference/tracking number via SMS or e-mail, for monitoring of the status application.
- Applicants who submitted incomplete or invalid requirements shall be notified via SMS or e-mail of the lacking/invalidated requirements.
- Bear in mind that this educational grant is not supposed to cover for the entire college tuition fee of your eligible dependents. Rather, it is a form of support from OWWA that OFWs who have college-level students to support can use to help pay for other academic expenditures like books and school supplies.
For more details on the Project EASE Scholarship grant, applicants may visit the www.owwa.gov.ph or contact the nearest OWWA Regional Welfare Offices (RWO).
WATCH: Applying for Project EASE
If you are an Overseas Filipino Worker and an active OWWA member who lost your job due to the pandemic, and you have children, siblings, nieces, or nephews who are in college, then you might be interested in applying for the OWWA Project EASE scholarship.
Watch Youtube vlogger charietala Vlogging Lutang as she shares with us the requirements, qualifications, and steps in applying for the program in this video below:
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, we rounded up some of the most common questions and answers related to the OWWA Project EASE program for OFW dependents. Read on and learn more.
1. Who is qualified to apply for Project EASE?
At most one (1) college-level children, siblings, nieces, or nephews of married or single active OWWA OFW members who are under 30 years, or at most one (1) college-level children, siblings, nephews or nieces of single active OWWA OFW members who are under 30 years of age, are qualified to apply for the benefits and privileges of Project EASE.
2. How much is the monetary value of the Project EASE scholarship grant?
All approved applicants of Project EASE are entitled to a yearly educational assistance grant amounting to Php 10,000.00 and this will continue for four (4) years provided that all the terms of the Scholarship Agreement are met.
3. My husband and I are both OFWs, can we have separate applications for our chosen student beneficiaries?
No, married OFWs, even though both are eligible to apply, may only apply for one (1) slot for Project EASE. Having said that, only one beneficiary within the family may enjoy the grant.
4. Can an eligible dependent be a beneficiary of Project EASE and another OWWA scholarship grant?
No. If the eligible dependent is already a recipient of another OWWA scholarship—be it Education for Development Scholarship (EDSP), OFW Dependent Scholarship (ODSP), or even Education for Livelihood Assistance (ELAP), he or she will be ineligible to apply for the benefits of Project EASE. Like other OWWA programs, Project EASE requires that the beneficiaries are not recipients of any OWWA- or government-funded scholarship grants.
5. Will I get a guaranteed spot in the list of Project EASE grantees upon application?
No, application for the Project EASE grant does not translate to a guaranteed slot. Rather, all applications are subjected to careful and strict screening and assessment conducted by the OWWA Regional Offices and their representative partner agencies.
6. How will OWWA disburse the monetary grant to successful applicants?
Eligible beneficiaries who were successfully selected to receive the grant should have included in their application an active bank account in their name. It is through this bank account that OWWA will disburse the money promised by the grant. In the event that they don’t have one, the money will be sent to that of their OFW contact or relative.
7. Can I use Project EASE if I’m an inactive member?
No. Project EASE was launched to specifically help eligible college-level dependents of active OWWA member-OFWs who lost their jobs or somehow got their jobs were affected by the global health crisis.
8. Can we both get Project EASE as an OFW couple if we are both eligible for the program?
No. OFW couples, even if they are both eligible for the program, cannot apply for the program separately as their privilege as OWWA members say that they are entitled to one (1) slot only.
9. May I apply for Project EASE as an active sea-based OFW member of OWWA?
Yes. Project EASE covers one (1) qualified dependent of all active OFW-members (whether they are land-based, sea-based, or Balik-Manggagawa workers) who lost their jobs or was repatriated to the country upon the declaration of the pandemic on February 1, 2020 up until it was controlled and managed as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other competent authorities.
10. To whom do I reach out to if I have questions or concerns regarding the Project EASE Scholarship Program?
For any questions or concerns, or you want to learn more about the program, you may contact the OWWA office directly through the following contact information:
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 active, returning, or first-time Filipino seafarers who wish to upskill. 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 Project EASE:
- 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
Project EASE is an OWWA initiative meant to help OFWs support their student dependents. Under the program, OFWs get some financial assistance so that their children, siblings, nieces, or nephews can continue their college education. This is one of the benefits that being an active OWWA member can enjoy.
Like all the other OWWA scholarship grants, Project EASE aims to be that one support for OFWs and their dependents to take a step closer to their dreams—as a testament to the hard work that OFWs put in while living away from home.