A total of 420 dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will receive a P60,000 scholarship grant as part of the government's education assistance program, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced on Monday, Sept. 5.
In a statement, OWWA said 400 of the beneficiaries were subsidized under the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) while 20 through the funding of the Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program (CMWSP) while the rest are under the
Region 4-A has the highest number of qualifiers for the EDSP with 61 scholars followed by Central Luzon with 55, Central Visayas with 52, and Western Visayas with 34.
A total of 34 beneficiaries were from Bicol Region, 38 in Metro Manila, 22 in Ilocos Region, 12 in Region 2; 10 in Region 4-B; 15 in Region 8; nine beneficiaries in Region IX; 14 in Region X; 19 in Region XI; five in Region XII; 10 in CARAGA Region; 11 in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); and two scholars granted in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Only 20 applicants for the CMWSP platform were granted scholarships all over the country, according to a report from OWWA posted on their official Facebook page.
The EDSP scholarship grants each beneficiary P60,000 per school year. However, only duly registered dependents of an active OWWA member enrolled in a four-to-five year baccalaureate course were entitled to avail of the program.
While the CMWSP platform, on the other hand, also offers P60,000 financial grant to qualified beneficiaries mandated under the Republic Act 10022 and is funded by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
The program benefits deserving migrant workers and or their immediate dependents who intend to pursue courses primarily in the field of science and technology as identified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Aside from the ESDP and CMWSP programs, OWWA also offers different scholarship platforms through the Skills for Employment Scholarship Program (SESP), OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP), Education Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP), OWWA Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (OSUP), Mariner’s Dugtong Aral Program (MDAP).