In order to standardize and consolidate all government functions related to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) was established in 2022 through Republic Act No. 11641. This department has “absorbed” the functions of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), and several other agencies.
Mandated to uphold the rights and welfare of OFWs and their families, the DMW currently operates 16 Regional Offices (ROs) in the Philippines, and 39 Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) around the world. One of these is the MWO in Kuwait, which serves OFWs who are living and working in the Kingdom.
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What is the Migrant Workers Office?
The Migrant Workers Office (MWO) is the “operating arm” of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) outside the Philippines. Aside from protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, the MWO ensures the proper implementation of labor-related programs and policies.
Programs and Services
The MWO in Kuwait, along with its attached agencies, provides the following services to OFWs: contract verification, assistance to nationals, welfare services, SSS-related services, Pag-IBIG Fund services, and other types of assistance.
Employment Contract Verification
To make sure that the rights, welfare, and benefits of OFWs in the workplace are protected, the MWO conducts employment contract verification. This involves checking whether or not a job contract is consisted with the employment laws and standards in the Philippines as well as in the Kingdom of Kuwait.
Assistance to Nationals (ATN)
Assistance to Nationals (ATN) is an essential part of Philippine foreign policy. Through the ATN Section’s programs and services, the MWO is able to protect the rights and welfare of over 220,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, including distressed and undocumented OFWs.
Among the services provided by the ATN Section are:
- Medical assistance;
- Referrals to clinics and hospitals;
- Hospital visits;
- Medical repatriation to the Philippines;
- Location of OFWs’ whereabouts;
- Pulling-out of distressed OFWs;
- Repatriation of undocumented OFWs to the Philippines;
- Prison and immigration center visits;
- Free legal assistance for Filipinos with felony or misdemeanor cases; and
- Facilitation of shipment of human remains and personal effects to the Philippines.
Overseas Welfare Office (OWO)
The MWO works in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) through the Overseas Welfare Office (OWO). Through this office, OFWs in Kuwait can renew their membership status with OWWA.
Being a member of OWWA provides OFWs with access to social benefits such as disability and dismemberment benefits, death and burial benefits. In addition, they may apply for the agency’s various education and training assistance programs, namely:
- Education and Livelihood Assistance Program;
- Enterprise Development and Loan Program.
- OFW Dependents Scholarship Program;
- Reintegration Program;
- Skills for Employment Scholarship Program; and
- Training Program for Filipino Seafarers.
DSWD in Kuwait
Another attached agency of the DMW and MWO is the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). In Kuwait, the DSWD Section provides different services to overseas Filipinos, such as: psychosocial services; Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS); repatriation assistance for undocumented children and their parents; and information and referral services (i.e. Parental Travel Permit, Child Custody, Solo Parents Information, and Child Support).
SSS Services
SSS stands for “Social Security System” a state-run social insurance program for Filipino workers in the private, professional, and informal sectors — including OFWs. At the SSS Section, member-OFWs can check their records and contributions, file applications for loans or benefits, update their information, and so on.
The great thing about being an SSS member is that throughout your life, you can avail of various benefits, such as: retirement benefit (pension), sickness benefit, maternity benefit, disability benefit, and unemployment benefits. The agency also provides death and funeral assistance to its members.
Pag-IBIG Fund Services
The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), better known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, is another government-run agency of the Philippines. Mandated to provide affordable shelter financing and savings programs, the Pag-IBIG Fund is part of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
For members, including overseas Filipinos, the Pag-IBIG Fund offers an array of programs, namely: membership savings (i.e. Pag-IBIG 1 Savings Program, Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Savings Program); short-term loans (i.e. Multi-purpose Loan, Calamity Loan); and home lending programs (i.e. End-User Home Financing Program, Affordable Housing Loan Program). Notably, housing loans from Pag-IBIG may be used to buy a residential lot, purchase a residential house and lot, refinance an existing housing loan, renovate a house, and other related purposes.
At the MWO office in Kuwait, Pag-IBIG Fund members can check their records and payment contributions. They can also apply for the filing and claiming of Pag-IBIG Fund benefits.
Video: OFW Family Day, Palarong Pinoy 2024
Last December 6, the MWO organized the OFW Family Day, Palarong Pinoy in Kuwait 2024. The event was held in coordination with OWWA and the Philippine Embassy. Check out this video by Pinoy Arabia ME Facebook page, which features the fun and exciting highlights of the said event:
Contact Information: MWO Kuwait
If you have any questions and concerns regarding your employment contract, Pag-IBIG Fund, SSS, and other matters — you can get in touch with MWO Kuwait through the following contact details and map. Please note that the MWO’s office hours are between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm, from Sundays to Thursdays.
Address: Building 256, Street 213, Block 2, Sabah Al Salem Area, Kuwait
Telephone: +965 9403 9063 (OWWA) / +965 6040 3858 (MWO) / +965 6558 5355 (ATN)
Email: mwo_kuwait@dmw.gov.ph / jadpolokuwait@gmail.com
Website: https://kuwaitpe.dfa.gov.ph/the-embassy/polo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MWO.Kuwait/
Google Map Location:
Final Thoughts
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), through its Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) worldwide, is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the rights and welfare of Filipinos worldwide. For OFWs in Kuwait, this mandate is carried out by the MWO here.
Speaking of rights, OFWs in Kuwait must be familiar with the Kuwait Labor Law. Check out this article to know more about the law’s provisions regarding working hours, leaves, and vacations.