OFW Party List Representative Marissa "Del Mar" Magsino together with DICT and OWWA Officials, expressed their commitment to continuously improve and update the app to meet the evolving needs of OFWs.
OFW Party List Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino, on Tuesday, led the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the OFW App, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing comprehensive assistance and information to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) worldwide through a digital app.
The OFW App is a project of the OFW Party List in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). It is a brainchild of OFW Party List Rep. Magsino, which was discussed with DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy during the budget deliberations last 2023.
The OFW App is set to become an essential tool for OFWs by leveraging the power of digital technology. Designed as an assistance and information outlet mobile application, the OFW App underscores the synergy of digitization efforts among government agencies for our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) around the world.
Among other features, the app provides access to welfare assistance, various benefits, and a crucial emergency button that connects directly to OWWA’s operation center, providing immediate support to OFWs in distress.
The evolving features will later include services of government agencies with frequent transactions with OFWs. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has also signified its intent to link vital services to the OFW App.
“The OFW App will revolutionize the way OFWs access vital services and information, bringing essential support right at their fingertips. The OFW App aims to provide our OFWs access to services, emergency assistance, and vital information in just a few clicks. I have been pitching this idea to IT experts before, but it was only DICT’s technical assistance, which allowed us to move forward with the project. And today, here we are with signing the MOU on this significant initiative,” said Magsino.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by OFW Party List, as represented by Congresswoman Marissa ‘Del Mar’ Magsino, the DICT as represented by Secretary Ivan John Uy and by Overseas Workers and Welfare OWWA as represented by Administrator Arnaldo “Arnell” Ignacio.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and DICT Undersecretary for E-Government, Mr. David Almirol, were also present to express their support. Other DICT, DMW, and OWWA senior officials also witnessed the MOU signing.
After the MOU signing, the simulation of the app will commence through the participation of select OFWs all over the world for their feedback. After finetuning of the interface and its services through consultation with end-users, the app is targeted to be formally launched within July 2024.
“I would like to thank DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy and Undersecretary David Almirol for walking hand in hand with the OFW Party List to bring our idea to life. I am also thankful that OWWA accepted our invitation to collaborate on the delivery of services, especially welfare assistance. Our world is fast evolving through digital technology and we should be in sync with the innovations in how we bring our services to our OFWs. Dapat accessible at agaran lalo na’t unique ang circumstances ng ating OFWs kapag sila’y deployed abroad; our services and information must be right at their fingertips,” said Magsino.
