For many Filipinos working abroad, OWWA membership is something we pay for when renewing documents or processing employment papers—but not everyone knows what it actually covers.
If an OFW dies abroad, the family may be entitled to financial assistance, provided the worker was an active OWWA member at the time of the incident.
What Your Family Can Claim
OWWA’s Death and Burial Benefit is an insurance-based package for members and their beneficiaries. The amount depends on whether the OFW died from natural causes or an accident.
- Natural death: P100,000 death benefit.
- Accidental death: P200,000 death benefit.
- Burial assistance: P20,000 burial gratuity, on top of the death benefit
Earlier OWWA announcements described the combined death and burial assistance as P120,000 for natural death and P220,000 for accidental death. The agency’s current benefit page lists these as a P100,000 or P200,000 death benefit plus a separate P20,000 burial gratuity.
Support For Dependents
The assistance does not end with the death benefit. Families of active OWWA members may also qualify for programs meant to help with schooling and income.
- Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP): A one-time scholarship-cum-livelihood grant for surviving heirs of an active OWWA member.
- Educational assistance: Support for one child, described in OWWA guidance as an educational grant for a child in a public school.
- Surviving spouse livelihood assistance: P15,000 worth of livelihood assistance for the surviving spouse.
Eligibility rules and documentary requirements may change, so it is best to confirm the latest details directly with OWWA.
What Happens If An OFW Dies Abroad
When a Filipino worker dies abroad, the Philippine Embassy or Consulate, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and OWWA usually coordinate on the case. The process begins once authorities, the employer, fellow workers, or the hospital report the death.
- The Philippine Embassy or Consulate is informed of the death.
- OWWA and Embassy personnel prepare an incident report.
- The DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and OWWA help locate and inform the family.
- The family receives counseling and guidance on repatriation and required documents.
- Once the arrival of the remains is confirmed, the family coordinates with a funeral home for burial or cremation.
- OWWA provides airport assistance and helps ensure the OFW’s belongings are returned.
Repatriation And Employer Responsibility
The employer also has a role in repatriation and may be responsible for major costs, including airfare. What happens next depends on the worker’s documents and OWWA membership status.
- Undocumented OFW: The DFA may handle the case.
- Documented OFW without active OWWA membership: OWWA may handle the case using funds requested from its head office and other organizations.
- Documented OFW with active OWWA membership: OWWA may handle the case.
Cases involving alleged crimes may take longer because of police investigations and court proceedings.
A Reminder From A Past Case
In 2015, household service worker Helen Riobuya Sarocam reportedly fell from the fifth floor of her foreign recruitment agency’s accommodation in Kuwait. She was an active OWWA member when she died.
OWWA said her family would receive the death and burial benefit, while OWWA Region 11 was directed to provide psychosocial counseling. The agency also assisted with documents for the repatriation of her remains and airport assistance upon arrival in the Philippines.
What Families Should Do
Do not wait for benefits to be released automatically. Families should coordinate with OWWA and the Philippine Embassy as soon as possible.
- Secure the death certificate, incident report, and other relevant documents.
- Confirm the OFW’s OWWA membership status.
- Contact OWWA or the nearest DFA/OWWA regional office for benefit claims and repatriation guidance.
- Ask about ELAP, educational assistance, and livelihood support for eligible dependents.
For assistance, OWWA’s listed contact number is (632) 891-7601, while DFA’s is (632) 834-4000