MANILA - The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) launched on Tuesday the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) e-Card to provide OFWs easy access to the agency’s programs, apart from being proof of OWWA membership.

The e-card may be availed for free by all active ’balik-manggagawa’ OFWs who have a valid overseas employment certificate (OEC) or exemption number, and a valid passport.

Some 250,000 OFWs will benefit in the first implementation phase of the e-card project.

OWWA programs that may be accessed via the e-card include welfare services, scholarships, training programs, and social benefits.

When availing of these programs, the OFW may present the e-card at any OWWA regional welfare office or at the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) and embassies/consulates.

The e-card may also serve as a valid government identification card.

Help desks have been set up in all OWWA offices in the country, as well as overseas posts, to assist OFWs who may have questions regarding the project.

OFWs who wish to apply for their e-cards may visit the OWWA website at www.owwa.gov.ph, and may claim their cards upon return to the Philippines or through any family member with an authorization letter and copy of the OFW’s passport identification page.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the OWWA OFW e-card “is pursuant to the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to further the services to our modern economic heroes — the OFWs.”

“Mga bayani yan (OFWs), kung hindi dahil sa kanila, matagal na tayong lubog… matagal nang bumagsak ang ating ekonomiya. Alam nyo ang budget natin, P3-trillion, ang kontribusyon nyo (OFWs) dyan: P1.6-trillion,” Bello added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said the number of OFWs who worked abroad at anytime from April to September 2017 was estimated at 2.3 million.

Of this number, overseas contract workers (OCWs) or those with existing work contract comprised 97.0-percent; the rest (3.0%) worked overseas without contract.