News

Administrator Carmelita S. Dimzon taking her oath before Secretary Marianito D. Roque last 18 September 2008.

Last 18 September 2008, OWWA entered a new era when Carmelita Dimzon was sworn in by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Roque as OWWA's tenth Administrator. Dimzon is also OWWA's first woman administrator.

Dimzon, a native of Pampanga, graduated magna cum laude in 1968 with a degree in Bachelor of Arts major in English and minor in Philospophy at the University of Santo Tomas. She proceeded to earn her Masters in Public Administration in 1980 and her Doctorate degree in the same field in 2003, at the University of the Philippines.

OWWA currently has 397 EDSP Scholars nationwide.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) shall award one hundred fifty (150) slots to qualified dependents of OFW-Members who shall enroll in any four (4) to five (5) year baccalaureate course for School year 2009-2010.

OWWA OIC Dir. Albert Valenciano and Dir. Vivian Tornea with representatives of OWWA corporate partners, (left to right) Ms. Maureen Laus of Banco de Oro, Ms. Patricia Riingen of Western Union and Mr. Adrian Joseph Fernandez of Globe Telecom during the launching of MOFYA 2008 last August 29 .

Filipinos have been crossing national borders to seek employment and seek good fortunes. But there are social costs resulting from overseas employment. Family members are being separated from each other. Children are reared by single or foster parents. OFWs find it difficult in coping with loneliness and other cultures. These circumstances continuously test the traditional family ties that we Filipinos value so much. And many OFW families were not able to cope, and disintegrated amidst these trials.

But there are also those who rose above these challenges and whose examples are worth emulating, not only by other OFW families, but also by the whole nation as well. And these OFW families are what the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) wants to recognize and honor when it started the Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) in 2005.

Western Union VP Patricia Riingen with Sec. Marianito Roque.

MANILA, Philippines, 29 August 2008 – The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) announced today its support for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) 2008 Model Overseas Foreign Worker (OFW) Family of the Year Award (MOFYA), an annual program that recognizes outstanding OFW families in the Philippines. As a major sponsor of the award, Western Union is contributing cash prizes and medals worth a total of PhP500,000 (around US$11,000) to the regional and grand winners.