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    Philippine travel: OFW vs Balikbayan vs non-OFW, what’s the difference?

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    Explainer

    Philippine travel: OFW vs Balikbayan vs non-OFW, what’s the difference?

    Avoid confusion, know your benefits, check latest quarantine rules before flying


    Published:  April 30, 2021 09:01 Last updated:  May 07, 2021 17:35 Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor

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    20200527 ofw
    WHAT AN OFW MEANS: The term Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) refers to Filipinos who temporarily live and work abroad, often on a contractual basis. The operational word Is “temporary”. The original term is OCW — overseas contract worker. By definition, a Filipino who has a job contract overseas and is registered with Philippine authorities is a bona-fide OFW. If there’s no job contract, he or she is considered a non-resident Filipino citizen, with a separate set of rights and privileges. Image Credit: Reuters
    2 of 21
    1.1285938-1848768980
    LANDBASED, SEA-BASED OFW AND FAMILY MEMBERS: In general, there are two OFW categories: (a) land-based and (b) seafarers/sea-based OFWs. Families traveling together with at least one OFW will be considered all OFWs. Photo shows the cruise line Pride of America in Honolulu. Tens of thousands of Filipinos work as crew of these ocean-going luxury ships. Image Credit: AP
    3 of 21
    Filipinos quarantine returning home 0001 covid-19 OFWs
    CONTRACT DURATION: The timeframe of a work contract ranges from a few months, like seafarers and cruise liner workers, to annual contracts, i.e. skilled workers, domestic workers. The term OFW also includes those who are on unlimited-period work contracts. A legalistic definition of an OFW is someone who is registered with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an agency under the Department of Labor and Employment. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 21
    Copy of 2020-05-26T111704Z_1009749265_RC2BWG9GQO00_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-PHILIPPINES-1590570520172
    PRIVILEGES FOR OFWS? One is exemption from travel tax. But this is contingent on obtaining an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC, available online) under the Balik-Manggagawa program. OWWA is both an insurance and welfare arm rolled into one. A bona-fide OFW must may $25 for an OWWA coverage, which is good for up to two years. Photo shows repatriated OFWs. Image Credit: REUTERS
    5 of 21
    A scene at the Manila airport.
    OFW BENEFITS IN THE TIME OF COVID: For repatriated OFWs, the OWWA benefits include: [a] Airport assistance; [b] Temporary shelter; [c] Free COVID-19 testing; [d] Psycho-social counseling [e]; Stress debriefing; [f] Transport services for travel back to the OFWs' home provinces. Regular benefits include medical/healthcare, disability and death benefits. A scene at the Manila Airport (Ninoy Aquino International). Image Credit: Gulf News / Jay Hilotin
    6 of 21
    As of June 2, 2020, a total of 7,241 Luzon-bound OFWs
    DEATH BENEFITS UP TO $4,000: Among the OFW benefits from OWWA include up to Php 50,000 ($1,000) for disability and dismembermen. In case of total permanent disability, a member is entitled Php 100,000.00 ($2,000). A member is also entitled to a benefit of Php100,000 for the duration of his employment contract for death due to natural cause, and Php 200,000.00 for death due to accident ($4,000). And OFW is also entitled to a Php20,000 burial benefit ($400), provided as a rider in case of the member’s death. Image Credit: OWWA / Twitter
    7 of 21
    Online Classes
    CONTINUING EDUCATION: OWWA runs several programs for OFWs that cover education, welfare, scholarships of OFWs and their immediate families. A “Tuloy-Aral Project (TAP) (“continuation of education”), for example, is an educational assistance project that targets aid for the less-fortunate children of former OFWs to enable them to continue their elementary and high school education by providing a US$100 financial support per year to the child-beneficiary. Donors may be OFWs or their organisations and other interested individuals or groups. Image Credit: Bloomberg
    8 of 21
    OFWs
    Members of OWWA who fail to renew membership after 2 years will not be able to avail of Php100,000 ($2,000) for accident-related injuries and their families won't be able to avail of Ph220,000 in death benefits $4,400). Image Credit: Gulf News / Courtesy Julian de Jesus
    9 of 21
    Skyline of Manila
    WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF AN OFW? On the ground, some tell-tale signs include a mariner’s wheel on the gate of his house, a logo of KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), or a jeepney (passenger vehicle) emblazoned with “Katas ng Saudi” (fruit of labour in the Kingdom). Most high-rise condominiums also count OFWs among their top buyers. Image Credit: Gulf News file
    10 of 21
    Copy of 2020-05-26T114742Z_702327567_RC2BWG9LR052_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-PHILIPPINES-LABOUR-1590570526940
    DRIVER OF CONSUMPTION: There’s also the neighbourhood “sari-sari” (variety) store or tricycle (rickshaw) put together with dole from a relative working overseas to provide some livelihood for loved ones left behind. There’s also the half-finished houses, waiting for the next remittance, or housing loan release from Pag-Ibig Fund (Home Mutual Development Fund). Another typical sign of OFW life: boxes full of goodies sent home. Photo shows repatriated OFWs. Image Credit: REUTERS
    11 of 21
    OFWs
    OFWS DISPLACED BY COVID: According to latest data provided by the Philippines’ Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE), nearly 648,000 were OFWs displaced by COVID so far. Out of that figure, some 520,000 OFWs had been sent back to their hometowns through a massive repatriation drive that’s still on-going. There are about 50,000 more due for repatriation while 78,000 opted to stay behind, despite having lost their jobs overseas, according to Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the Philippine labour minister. Image Credit: PNA
    12 of 21
    1.2284760-3523443630
    OFW REMITTANCES POWER THE ECONOMY: In 2020, cash sent by Filipinos working and living abroad reached $29.9 billion, a better-than-expected 0.8-% drop despite the knock-on effects of COVID (from the $30.1 billion recorded in 2019). Morgan Stanley projects OFW remittances to jump 7% in 2021, amidst an expected recover from COVID, assuming most of the world would get vaccinated. File photo. Image Credit: Courtesy: Jules de Jesus
    13 of 21
    OFWs
    HOW MANY OFWs AND HOW MANY FILIPINOS ARE OVERSEAS?: Latest DOLE data (as of June 2020) show that there are about 9 million Filipinos living and working overseas. There are about 3.5 million "documented” OFWs, and another 1.58 million “undocumented” ones, according to the latest DOLE data. Meanwhile, there are an estimated 3.8 million Filipino that have permanently migrated overseas. Image Credit: File
    14 of 21
    A scene at the Manila Airport Terminal 1 on January 6, 2021
    WHAT IS AN ‘OVERSEAS FILIPINO’?: Unlike OFWs, overseas Filipinos (OFs) are those with permanent resident status or have acquired another citizenship. Signs of OFs’ at home include names people listed as donors and written on school buildings (with their geolocation, for example, Milan, Italy, or LA, California, USA). Image Credit: Jay Hilotin / Gulf News
    15 of 21
    Manila Philippines mask covid
    WHAT IS A 'BALIKBAYAN', IS IT REALLY A MISNOMER? The “balik” (Filipino term, meaning back/return) in “balikbayan” literally means “homecoming” or "return to town" (bayan in generic Filipino term for town/country). But it’s a bit of a misnomer. Most Filipino “balikbayans” are simply visiting for the holidays or on a short vacation. Only a small number do return home for good, or to retire. Many have bought and built homes in the Philippines. Those homes are occupied by relatives, or lay empty, for most parts of the year. Image Credit: Reuters
    16 of 21
    17 of 21
    18 of 21
    OFWs
    WHAT ARE THE PRIVILEGES OF A BALIKBAYAN? According to the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration (BI), those who are admitted as Balikbayans are given an initial stay of one year. They may extend their stay for up to six (6) more months, provided they present a valid passport and filled out the visa extension form and submit it to the Visa Extension Section in any BI office nationwide. An additional requirement will be asked for Balikbayans who have stayed in the Philippines after thirty six (36) months. Image Credit: Gulf News / Jay Hilotin
    19 of 21
    Philippines Quaratine covid-19 clark cebu mactan airport
    FOREIGNER SPOUSE AND CHILD OF A BALIKBAYAN: For a foreigner spouse or child of a Balikbayan to avail this privilege, a foreign national spouse and/or child of a Balikbayan may only be given the said privilege if he/she is traveling with his/her Balikbayan spouse or parent, espcially during the COVID travel restrictions. Image Credit: Jay Hilotin / Gulf News
    20 of 21
    OFWs
    QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS: Current COVID-19 protocol mandates a 14-day quarantine for travellers flying into the Philippines. OFWs must stay at least 6-days in a government designated quarantine hotel, with COVID-19 PCR test done on Day 6. Upon testing negative (result out on Day 7 or 8), travellers from overseas are mandated to complete a 14-day quarantine or self-isolation under the monitoring of the local government unit (LGU) and Barangay (local village) Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT). It’s best to check with your airline for any changes in quarantine rules. Image Credit: File
    21 of 21
    OFWs
    HOME QUARANTINE: Upon testing negative (result out on Day 7 or 8), travellers from overseas are mandated to complete a 14-day quarantine or self-isolation under the monitoring of the local government unit LGU and Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT). It’s best to check with your airline for any changes in quarantine rules. Image Credit: File

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