MOBILE payment platform GCash and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) teamed up to enable overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to pay their membership dues via the app's "Bills Pay" feature.
In a statement, GCash said that the partnership came amid the war in the Middle East.
Active OWWA membership provides essential OFW support, including emergency repatriation services and reintegration, as well as social benefits like health care, legal assistance, and livelihood programs.
OWWA Administrator PY Caunan and GCash Vice President and Head of the Public Sector Cleo Santos signed a memorandum of agreement, formalizing their partnership.
"Digitizing the OWWA membership renewal via GCash is a vital component of how our agency is continuously modernizing for the benefit of our countrymen working abroad. ... We’re glad to have allies in the private sector to help us continue extending the safety of home and the protections of the government to our migrant workers,” Caunan said.
OWWA membership payments have been made available through the GCash app since April 16, with transaction fees waived for three months until July 16.
"Beyond membership payments, OFWs can also use GCash to send remittances, pay bills in the Philippines, and access savings, credit, insurance, and investment products, helping them manage their finances and stay connected to their families,” the statement read.
Those who wish to pay their OWWA membership should open their GCash app, tap Bills, select Government, choose the OWWA icon, enter their personal details and reference number, and proceed with the payment.
"Through this partnership with OWWA, we have better opportunities to serve OFWs with a range of safe, convenient, and real-time services, from gateways to government programs that ensure continued well-being, to our comprehensive digital financial ecosystem that empowers through true inclusion,” Santos said.
According to the mobile app’s statement, OWWA membership integration into GCash is “the first significant step in a long-term shared commitment to strengthening support systems for OFWs.”
“GCash looks forward to leveraging digital solutions to complement government services and to ensure that Filipinos remain protected, connected, and supported wherever they are,” the app’s statement read. ARIC JOHN SY CUA
