A new program has been launched by the Overseas Worker’s Welfare Administration (OWWA) that is called the OFW Children’s Circle or OCC. This new OWWA program will help provide assistance and care to the children of OFWs who were left behind in the Philippines.
Many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) tend to leave their families (and their kids) behind when they go abroad for work. After all, they need to earn money to support their loved ones back home. However, this often means that the children are left alone or in the care of other relatives. Unfortunately, there are some cases where children are neglected or develop issues. This is the objective of the new OWWA program – to help make sure that the children of OFWs are well-cared for even if their parents are not around.
The establishment of the OFW Children’s Circle, or OCC, was brought on by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order to provide services for the welfare and protection of families, particularly OFWs’ children left behind.
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New OWWA Initiative to address impact of migration on Children of Overseas Filipino Workers
The OFW Children’s Circle is a new OWWA initiative that will help address these problems. In partnership with the Department of Migrant Workers( DMW) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the OCC will provide assistance, educational support, and counseling services to the children of OFWs.
Additionally, the OCC will also help connect these kids with their OFW parents so that they can stay in touch despite the distance.
The launch of the OFW Children’s Circle is a welcome development for many Filipinos who have migrant workers abroad in their family. This new project will provide some form of community for the children who have OFW parents.
The children will be able to communicate with one another, share their own experiences, and obtain assistance and support from adults who are aware of what they are going through.
The program will also offer educational and cultural activities, as well as opportunities for personal and professional development.
What OFW Kids Can Expect from the OCC
According to a statement on the Press Release announcement, the OFW Children’s Circle community will serve as a venue with the following purposes:
- To showcase the creative skills and talents of OFW children;
- To improve socialization skills and harness coping mechanisms of OFW children;
- To foster awareness in youth-centered and civic advocacies such as environment and climate change, values reorientation, digital literacy and anti-drugs and substance abuse;
- To build camaraderie among OFW children, develop potential leaders among them and encourage the formation of OFW Children’s Circles;
- To encourage OFW children’s participation in policy and program development.
Initial Budget
The OWWA Board of Trustees has allocated P15,000,000.00 for the project’s initial implementation. This will cover the operational and administrative expenses to get the program up and running.
How to Avail of the OCC Program’s Services
If you are an OFW with children in the Philippines, you can inquire about the OFW Children’s Circle by going to the nearest OWWA Regional Welfare Office.
The first phase of the OCC will be implemented by OWWA Regional Welfare Offices in the National Capital Region, Region I (Ilocos), Region IV-A (Southern Tagalog), Region VII (Central Visayas), and Region XI (Southern Mindanao). All OWWA Regional Welfare Offices will implement the OCC Program completely after that.
Video: Guidance to Children of OFWs by OWWA
Here’s a video report focusing on a news announcement about OWWA’s Children’s Circle or OCC.
The OFW Children’s Circle is a new and innovative program that will help support the children of Overseas Filipino Workers. This is a much-needed initiative as it will provide some form of community for these kids who often feel alone and neglected. With this new project, we hope
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