Filipino seafarers keep global trade moving — and the work is demanding, the risks are constant, and the distance from home makes even the smallest problems harder to carry alone. This is why OWWA strives to be that one dedicated support system built para sa marino, para sa pamilya (for the mariner and the family waiting back home).
OWWA offers a 24/7 seafarers and families assistance program reachable anytime through multiple channels — all connected to a round-the-clock Operations Center. Its core promise, captured in the tagline Serbisyong May Puso, is that every Filipino seafarer and their family always has somewhere to turn, no matter the hour or the situation. Whether you need to call, message, or send an email, OWWA’s 24/7 Operations Center is always reachable because no matter where a Filipino seafarer is in the world, Alagang OWWA stands by one promise to every Filipino crew member and every family waiting back home: Hindi kayo nag-iisa (You are not alone).
Who These Programs Are For
OWWA’s seafarer-focused programs were built around two groups. So, if you belong to either group, these programs exist for you:
- Filipino seafarers currently deployed: those with concerns about route safety, vessel conditions, contract issues, or how they’re being treated onboard
- Families back in the Philippines: loved ones who need guidance, information, or direct assistance while someone they care about is at sea
What OWWA Guarantees
To Filipino seafarers and their families, OWWA offers:
Emergency and Crisis Response
When something goes wrong — a welfare concern, a safety issue, a contract dispute, or an urgent situation involving the vessel — OWWA steps in and coordinates with the right office so seafarers don’t have to figure out alone who to call or where to turn.
Repatriation Assistance
In cases of shipwreck, piracy, armed conflict, or medical emergencies, OWWA facilitates the repatriation of affected Filipino crew members; so if the worst happens, there is a clear and supported path back home.
Post-Repatriation Support
OWWA also provides post-repatriation support — mental health check-ins and access to psychological services — because a maritime crisis rarely leaves a seafarer with good thoughts when they land.
OWWA Seafarers’ Welfare Center
The OWWA Seafarers’ Welfare Center brings multiple agencies and services together in one place, including:
- SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth transactions
- Legal assistance through the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO)
- Medical services via the OWWA YAKAP Clinic and Botika
- Skills training and capacity-building facilities
- The Love Yourself Booth, for sexual health and HIV awareness services
Education and Training Programs
OWWA’s commitment extends into the long-term —in the form of self development and growth both for their family and themselves—because a seafarer’s time at sea shouldn’t come at the cost of their family’s future or their own career growth.
For seafarers:
- Seafarers’ Upgrading Program (SUP)
- Updating Management Level Courses (UMLC)
For dependents:
- Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP)
- OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP)
- Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program (CMWSP)
Financial and Reintegration Support
OWWA also offers programs that help manage an unexpected gap in work for a seafarer and their household:
- OFW Enterprise Development and Loan Program (EDLP): for seafarers building or growing a livelihood after deployment
- Welfare Assistance Program (WAP): for members who need financial support during difficult stretches
Disability, Death, and Burial Benefits
These are the benefits no one wants to think about, but OWWA addresses just the same:
- Financial assistance for members who suffer total permanent disability
- Death benefits for the family, with amounts that vary depending on cause — natural or accidental
- A fixed burial assistance supplement
Contact OWWA — Anytime, From Anywhere
Take note: OWWA’s 24/7 Operations Center is always on — regardless if it’s the middle of the night in the Philippines or if it’s a seafarer calling in from a port on the other side of the world. One number. Any time. No waiting for office hours.
- Office: F.B. Harrison St., Pasay, Metro Manila
- Telephone: 8891-7601 to 24
- OWWA 24/7 Hotline: 1348 (local), (+632) 1348 (international)
- Viber / WhatsApp: +63 927 824 5975
- Email: owwacares@owwa.gov.ph
- Facebook: OWWA
Before you call or message, make sure to prepare:
- The seafarer’s full name
- The vessel’s name
- The vessel’s current location, if known
- The name of the manning agency
- A brief description of the concern
Having these details ready helps OWWA respond faster. When time matters, that preparation matters too.