OWWA has set up an online website and mobile app where Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) can register in order to facilitate the process of returning home to the Philippines and eventually to their home provinces. This is called the OWWA Uwian Na program.
Also Read: OWWA Programs Benefits Services for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly devastated the world’s workforce, forcing the layoff and closure of many businesses and industries, and our fellow Filipinos abroad weren’t spared. The aim of this OWWA Uwian Na project is to reduce the time it takes for OFWs who have tested negative for coronavirus illness in the Philippines and want to return home.
Note: The OWWA Uwian Na Portal is different from the OWWA Mobile App. Please be guided on this. For more information about OWWA Mobile App, please check this post – OWWA Mobile App Registration Guide
Contents
Overview
The OWWA Uwian Na Portal and Mobile App is a registration system managed by OWWA specifically aimed to quicken procedures for OFWs who have tested negative for COVID-19, successfully completed their quarantine period, and wish to go back to their home region.
This registration system can be accessed via a website or mobile app, and OFWs who register for repatriation through Uwian Na Portal and Mobile App can expect a speedier, more hands-on service of the agency.
OWWA advises all OFWs to register in the Uwian Na because it is one of the requirements for you to get back to the Philippines. Even if you have a ticket coming home, it’s not guaranteed until you have gone through their Uwian Na registration process.
Also Read: OASIS OWWA GOV PH Program Registration
Benefits
The OWWA Uwian Na Portal and Mobile App is designed to expedite the process of repatriation of OFWs who are stranded or wish to go back to their home region in the Philippines. Registering for the portal entitles OFWs to certain privileges, including a quicker schedule for charter flights, grouping with other OFWs based on the destination, and an option to stay in your preferred quarantine hotel or facility as approved by OWWA.
Requirements
To register for repatriation through Uwian Na Portal and Mobile App, applicants must prepare the documentary requirements:
- Negative RT-PCR test result
- Passport
For your RT-PCR test, you may sign up on the electronic Case Investigation Form (e-CIF) found in the PH Red Cross website at https://e-cif.redcross.org.ph/ before registering in OWWA Uwian Na. The form will be part of your clearance as well, so be sure to have yourself tested and fill-up the form.
Procedure
You may apply for repatriation through the Uwian Na Portal or by downloading and registering to the Uwian Na Mobile App.
How to Register through the Uwian Na Portal
- Go to the Uwian Na Portal through this link: http://uwianna.owwa.gov.ph/
- Read through the general process displayed in the home page, then click “Register”.
- Fill in your personal information in the registration form.
- Select your home region or the destination you plan to reside in, and a hotel for your mandatory quarantine upon arrival in the country.
- Click “Upload Files” to upload a soft copy (if sent online or through mail) or photocopy (if in print) of your negative RT-PCR test result.
- Once your file has been uploaded, click “I am not a robot” for security.
- Verify all entered information, then click “Submit”. You will be notified of your schedule confirmation on screen and through your registered phone number.
How to Register through Uwian Na Mobile App
- Download the OWWA Uwian Na Mobile using your smartphone:
- For Android users, search for “OWWA Uwian na” on Google Play or click the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uwinatayo&hl=en_GB&gl=US
- For iOS users, search for “OWWA Uwian na” on the App Store or through this link: https://apps.apple.com/app/owwa-uwian-na/id1516577894
- Register using your login credentials, if you are already registered. Otherwise, tap “Register” to create an account.
- Read through the general registration process that will be shown in your screen, then tap “Register Now!”.
- Fill in the form with the required information.
- Select your home region or the destination you plan to reside, and a hotel for your mandatory quarantine upon arrival in the country.
- Confirm your submitted information by ticking the box.
- Tap “Submit” to finish registration.
Keep in mind that upon registration, all registrants will receive an acknowledgment email for their registration, as well as guidelines for proceeding with their travel plan.
To continue with reservation, however, the registrant must be included in the names of OFW returnees who have tested negative on the RT-PCR test and are residing at a quarantine facility approved by OWWA.
OFWs Assisted by DOLE and OWWA
In a report by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) from Inquirer, over 550,000 OFWs were displaced by the pandemic in December 2020. Of this, 350,000 had been given assistance by the government through the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, while 25,697 dependents were given educational grants. In July 2021, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) reported 612,000 OFWs who had been repatriated since May 2020.
In a time where health and safety are at risk, these repatriation efforts attest to the agency’s continuous fulfillment of its mandate to help and serve the country’s modern-day heroes and one of the greatest workforce. But they did not stop here, because now, repatriation is made easier for OFWs through the OWWA Uwian Na App.
Video: OWWA Uwian Na Guide
Check out this video guide uploaded on YouTube by an OFW about the process of applying for OWWA Uwian Na.
Video: OFW Hatid Probinsya Procedure
Here is another OFW who shared his experience in a quarantine hotel and going back home to the Philippines with the assistance of OWWA through the OFW Hatid Probinsya:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Please go through these FAQs about the project for your reference:
1. What is OWWA Uwian Na?
OWWA Uwian Na is a registration system that aims to speed up the return process of OFWs who tested negative for COVID-19 while they are waiting in OWWA-approved quarantine facilities abroad.
2. Who can sign up in OWWA Uwian Na?
OFWs, whether land-based or sea-based, can register in OWWA Uwian Na, given that they have been tested negative for COVID-19 and are either:
- Currently staying in an OWWA-approved quarantine facility, or
- Included in the list of OFW repatriates with negative RT-PCR test results by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
As for the RT-PCR test, OFWs may fill up the electronic Case Investigation Form of the PH Red Cross at https://e-cif.redcross.org.ph/ before registering in OWWA Uwian Na. The form will be part of the requirements for immigration as well, so be sure to get tested and fill up the form.
3. Where can I sign up?
OFWs who wish to be repatriated may register in two ways:
- OWWA Uwian Na Portal website: Register at http://uwianna.owwa.gov.ph/
- OWWA Uwian Na Mobile App: Download on Apple store or Google Play then register for an account
- Android users can search for “OWWA Uwian on Google Play or visit the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uwinatayo&hl=en_GB&gl=US
- iOS users can search for “OWWA Uwian na” on the App Store or visit the link: https://apps.apple.com/app/owwa-uwian-na/id1516577894
- Can I sign up even if I am still abroad?
Ideally, yes, you must sign up at OWWA Uwian Na at least 5 days prior to your return to the country, given that you tested negative in the RT-PCR test and are staying in an OWWA-approved quarantine facility.
4. What can I get from registering?
OFW repatriates who have registered in the OWWA Uwian Na portal or mobile app may enjoy the following benefits:
- Faster scheduling of charter flights to the Philippines
- Grouping with other OFW repatriates of the same destination, and;
- Choice to lodge in preferred OWWA-approved quarantine hotel or facility upon arrival.
5. What do I need to have to register?
To register for repatriation, you need to have a copy of your negative RT-PCR test result and passport. You will need to upload these as documentary requirements upon registration, whether through the website or mobile app.
6. Do I need to pay anything for registration?
No, registration in the OWWA Uwian Na portal is free. The OWWA Uwian Na mobile app on both Google Play and App Store is free to download as well.
7. Once I register, am I automatically getting my schedule?
No, registration from the website does not guarantee your schedule of return in an instant. You will receive an email notification acknowledging your registration as well as further guidelines for your travel arrangements.
8. How else can I contact OWWA for my return?
For further support and concerns, you may reach OWWA via email at uwianna@owwa.gov.ph or visit the OWWA official website at www.owwa.gov.ph or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/owwaofficial.
You may also choose to download the official OWWA mobile app on Google Play and App Store for more updates on OWWA programs and projects.
Summary
With the surge of COVID-19 cases worldwide, it is hard not to worry about one’s personal health and safety, let alone when they have been retrenched at work and are now living away from their loved ones. And with the unpredictability of it all, the least—but probably the most reassuring—OFWs need is to be able to be and feel home again.
However, with the new Uwian Na registration system by OWWA, the long wait of reuniting healthily with your loved ones is cut short, and coming home has never been more at reach. Please make sure to register your details in the portal to enjoy faster repatriation procedures.
Contact Details
For more information and further inquiries on repatriation and other OWWA projects, email uwianna@owwa.gov.ph or visit the OWWA official website at www.owwa.gov.ph or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/owwaofficial.