The Philippine government is accelerating the rollout of an enhanced electronic ID card for millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), aiming to provide the card to all 2.6 million active members of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
In a media briefing Wednesday, OWWA Deputy Administrator Ryan Vincent Uy said the agency issued more than 300,000 e-cards in 2025, compared with about 56,000 the previous year. He said the agency currently has close to 300,000 cards issued overall and is working toward 100 percent coverage.
The e-card comes in two forms: a physical printed card and a digital version accessible through the government’s e-Gov mobile app, which appears automatically upon registration with OWWA.
The card serves as proof of active OWWA membership, grants easier access to agency programs and services, and is recognized as a valid government-issued ID at Philippine embassies, consulates, and Migrant Workers Offices abroad.
Under Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, OWWA has partnered with at least 200 businesses in the Philippines and overseas — including hospitals, remittance centers, logistics firms, and Filipino-owned enterprises in the Middle East and Hong Kong — to offer discounts and benefits to cardholders.
To speed distribution, OWWA has decentralized printing. Machines are now operational at the agency’s central office in Pasay, Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1 and 3, selected regional offices, and overseas posts. Additional facilities, including seafarers’ welfare centers, are expected to come online this year. Funds have also been allocated to regional offices to purchase their own printers.
Separately, OWWA Deputy Administrator Jasmin Gapatan said the agency is concluding its month-long “Alagang OWWA Serbisyo Caravan” in Manama, Bahrain, which ran from Jan. 2 to Jan. 29. Before the caravan’s final events, OWWA had already served 2,763 OFWs and issued 2,542 e-cards.
Gapatan reported high satisfaction among recipients, with feedback showing a 4.9 out of 5-star rating and a 100 percent recommendation rate.
