I.

NATURE

The Disability Assistance Program shall be in monetary form to be granted to overseas contract workers (OCWs), seabased, who sustain work-related disabilities, illnesses and injuries. In cases of emergency treatment, this monetary benefits maybe given in the form of medical service assistance subject to the limits provided in the schedule of impediment.

II.

COVERAGE

The program shall cover OCWs who suffer work related injuries, illnesses and disabilities during employment overseas, the symptoms of which appear even during termination of employment, but not to exceed six (6) months from the date of arrival provided that the claimant has not obtained local employment at the time of application for assistance. And provided further that the application is received by OWWA with in seven (7) months from the date of arrival. However, those OCWs who are covered by OWWA's Insurance Program shall not be entitled under this program.

III.

ENTITLEMENT

Overseas contract workers who have at least one recorded OWWA contribution shall be entitled to the monetary assistance which can be availed of during employment or within seven (7) months from the date of arrival. Successive availments for the same illness or injury shall be allowed only when there is prior re-evaluation of the OCW by OWWA's accredited physician and that the total amount of monetary assistance shall not exceed P10,000.00.

IV.

SCHEDULE OF DISABILITY ASSISTANCE

The amount of disability assistance shall be based on the following schedule of impediment grade, the injuries and the illness of which are defined and covered by such impediment grade:

Impediment Grade

Amount

     

1-A

P10,000.00

 

1-B

8,000.00

 

1-C

7,000.00

 

1-D

6,000.00

 

2-3

5,000.00

 

4-5

4,000.00

 

6-7

3,500.00

 

8-9

3,000.00

 

10-14

2,500.00

 

15-A

2,000.00

 

15-B

1,500.00

 

GENERAL POLICIES

A. Application Requirements:

1. Qualified overseas contract workers (OCWs) are required to submit duly accomplished disability assistance application forms in two (2) copies to the following:

a. NCR Social Benefits Division for applicants who are residing within Metro Manila;

b. Nearest Regional OWWA Units for applicants who are residing outside of Metro Manila.

2. All documents to be presented by the OCW applicant shall be in its original copy duly signed by the concerned applicant. However, if the OCW applicant is verified to be fully disabled, a thumbmark on the application form duly countersigned by the legal and immediate family members shall suffice.

The documentary requirements to be submitted are:

a. Authenticated copy of Medical Case History and/or medical certificate issued by the attending doctor in which both document shall be duly validated by OWWA's accredited physician.

b. Verified machine copy of the Passport/Seamen's Service Record Book with POEA stamp.

c. Any of the following:

-   Certified true copy of employment contract processed and approved by POEA

-   Recent OWWA Certificate of Membership/OWWA ID

-   Overseas Employment Certificate

d. In the vent that OCW claimant is physically and/or mentally unable to personally claim the disability assistance, a duly notarized Letter of Authorization (LOA) duly signed by both the applicant and the authorized representative shall be submitted. The LOA shall include recent picture of the authorized representative with signature on the bottom side of the picture. The authorized representative of the (Illegible portion)

B. All application forms submitted shall be stamped by the concerned OWWA personnel with:

DATA ENCODED BY: (Signature over printed name)

and a routing slip with their names and signatures shall be attached. The Head of the Social Benefits Division shall fully ensure that the applicant has no double claims within a particular contract duration.

C. The Social Benefits Division or the ROU shall inform in advance the claimant or the authorized representative that valid identification cards (IDs) are required for claiming the disability assistance and such valid IDs are the following:

1. Passport

2. Office ID

3. Postal ID

4. Driver's License

5. ORIGINAL and RECENT NBI Clearance

D. In case of the Regional OWWA Units, the following procedures shall apply:

1. The ROUs shall maintain machine copies of all documents forwarded/endorsed to the Head Office.

2. All documents endorsed by ROUs to the Head Office shall be stamped with

ROU No. __________
RECEIVED & PROCESSED BY: (Signature over printed name)

3. Checks endorsed by the Head Office to the ROUs shall be released by the latter to claimants on the basis of copies of documents they trained and upon the presentation of valid IDs by the claimants.

E. Preparation of Disbursement Vouchers and Releasing of Checks

1. Before preparing the Disbursement Voucher (DV), the concerned verifier shall match the signatures appearing on the passport, application sheet and the LOA. Any major discrepancies shall render the documents invalid.

2. The payee appearing on the DV shall always be the name of the OCW applicant and the "and/or" shall never be allowed in DV and check preparation.

3. As a general rule, checks shall be released only to OCW claimant or his authorized representative named in the LOA, after proper identification. The Releasing Officer shall stamped the Disbursement Voucher with "ID presented" and shall reflect on the DV other details contained in the ID.

However, if checks are not claimed within a month, the Head of the Cash Department or the concerned ROU shall notify the concerned OCW claimant thru telegram, that check in his/her favor is ready for release and that the claimant should bring valid IDs for proper identification and the said telegram that was sent to him/her. Thereafter, the check shall be cancelled in the event that after a month from due notification, the check remains unclaimed.

4. Upon release of the checks, all supporting documents shall be stamped with "PAID" indicating the date and time of release. The releasing officer shall register their signature in the Warrant Register on the space corresponding to the indicated record of check released to claimant. The disbursement voucher shall also be duly signed by the claimant. Disbursement vouchers and other supporting documents shall only be forwarded for post-audit after the above procedure had been consummated.

5. The Cash Development shall provide a copy of disability Payment Report (indicating the checks released or cancelled) to the Social Benefits Division and such report shall be reflected by the latter in their data base.

VI.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

From the date of effectivity of this Memorandum of Instructions and every six (6) months thereafter, a program evaluation shall be conducted.

VII.

REPEALING CLAUSE

All existing issuances of the Secretariat or any provisions thereof that are inconsistent with the guidelines provided under this Memorandum of Instruction shall be deemed repealed or modified accordingly.

VIII.

EFFECTIVITY

This Memorandum of Instruction supersedes MOI No. 124 series of 1991 and shall take effect on March 4, 1996. All heads of concerned units under this program are hereby instructed to strictly comply with the guidelines set forth under this MOI.

Adopted: 29 February 1996

(SGD.) WILHELM D. SORIANO
Administrator