College tuition support has become a heavier draw for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) households in the Davao Region, with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) there now carrying 1,129 dependents on its education assistance rolls.
Regional Director Mohammad I. Victor tied the buildup to a generational shift among the workers themselves. “Malaki po yung pagtaas kasi dumadami din po ang OFW natin, and then yung mga single na OFW before nagkakaroon na sila ng family ngayon, so yung mga anak nila nag-aaply ng scholarship program (The increase has been significant because the number of OFWs continues to grow. Many OFWs who were once single now have families, and their children are applying for our scholarship programs),” he said at the July 2 Kapehan sa Dabaw forum held at SM City Davao.
Owwa runs three separate tracks for qualified dependents, and the current caseload is spread unevenly across them. The OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP) accounts for the largest share at 638 grantees, followed by 322 under the Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (Elap) and 169 under the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP).
Eligibility and award sizes vary by track. The EDSP covers as much as P60,000 yearly for students taking four- or five-year degrees, though applicants have to clear a qualifying exam first. The ODSP releases P20,000 in yearly assistance, limited to dependents whose OFW parent earns below US$1,000 monthly. The Elap, set aside for college students whose Owwa-member parent died while active, provides P10,000 a year plus a one-time P15,000 livelihood grant to the bereaved family.
Families weighing an application should watch the agency’s portal at scholarship.owwa.gov.ph, which Victor said is slated to accept submissions starting the first week of August, with guidelines to follow on Owwa’s official channels. He also noted a firm cap: each OFW can have only one dependent qualify.
Completion figures for academic year 2025-2026 show where the programs are producing results, led by 128 ODSP graduates, alongside 47 from the EDSP and eight under the Elap.
