OWWA scholarship available to dependents of US OFWs

Dependents of overseas Filipino workers in the United States were encouraged to avail of college scholarship programs set up by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for them. Labor Attaché Luzviminda Padilla, who heads the Philippine Overseas Labor Office of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, said Filipino workers in the US should not miss the chance offered to OWWA members. “The financial grant that could be availed of under the program would certainly help their children in achieving their educational aspirations and realizing their dreams," Padilla said in a news release. Welfare Officer Saul de Vries, the newly designated OWWA representative in Washington, advised OFWs in the US to inform their high school graduating children or dependents to file their application with the OWWA Regional Welfare Office nearest their homes in the Philippines. De Vries said the deadline for submission of application is on Sept. 30 this year. OFWs interested in the program may call De Vries at telephone number 202-467-9425 or e-mail owwa_washingtondc@yahoo.com. Qualified applicants will undergo a competitive examination to be administered by the Department of Science and Technology on Nov. 20. The embassy listed the qualifications of applicants as:

1. a child of an OWWA member or brother/sister of an unmarried OWWA member; 2. below 21 years old; 3. a Filipino citizen; 4. in good health and of good moral character; 5. in the upper 20 percent of the high school graduating class; 6. has not earned units in any post-secondary/undergraduate course; and 7. must not be a recipient of any scholarship award.

The scholarship program, dubbed Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP), is open to all high school graduating students in the Philippines who are children or dependents of active OWWA members. OWWA administrator Carmelita Dimzon said the scholarship program provides an educational grant of P60,000 per year to every OWWA scholar enrolled in any four- or five-year course in colleges and universities in the Philippines. The OWWA allots P240,000 to P300,000 for each scholar for the entire duration of the scholarship. Dimzon also said the EDSP aims to help OWWA members send their qualified children and dependents to first-rate schools and receive quality college education without having to worry about where to get money for tuition and other fees. Under the program, OWWA will shoulder the tuition of the scholar directly to the school. Any remaining amount in the financial grant after the payment of tuition fee will be released to the scholar. — JE, GMA News