In the interest of the service and to ensure the immediate delivery and accessibility of OWAA's training program to the OFW's and their dependents, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed to decentralize the implementation of the Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP) nationwide:


The Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP) is in a form of scholarship in technical/vocational or specialized training in response to current and future needs of the local and foreign labor markets. The program provides OWWA grantees tuition fee, monetary incentives and placement assistance.


The decentralization in implementing the SESP seeks to:

1.         respond to the need for quality training of OFWs and their dependents for the self-productivity and employability in the region;

2.         ensure the immediate delivery of training programs to OFWs and their dependents in the regional level; and

3.         deconcentrate the responsibility and authority by the OWWA Main Office to the Regional OWWA Units.


OFWs who are bona fide members of OWWA or any one of their qualified beneficiaries who are at least school graduate, and who pass the oral and written examinations administered by OWWA or its designated training/testing centers/schools shall be entitled to avail of the program.

Beneficiaries as used herein shall be limited to spouse and children of married OFWs, parent or brother/sister of unmarried OFWs, and/or nephew/niece/adopted child of married OFWs without children.

Proof of membership will be any of the following documents:

a.    Official receipt of OWWA Contribution/Certificate of Coverage (for first hires);

b.    Travel Exit Pass/Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) duly processed by POEA; and

c.    Notice of Employment duly processed by POEA.


1.    Fashion Courses - at least with elementary background.

2.    Technical/Trade Courses - at least high school graduate, out-of-school youth, with corresponding work experience, or passed the training center's oral and written exam.

3.    Secretarial/Computer Courses - at least high school graduate or with work experience.


1.    Accomplished application form

2.    1" x 1" I.D. pictures (2 copies)

3.    Medical certificate attesting to applicant's physical and mental fitness

4.    Police clearance or NBI clearance

5.    Copy of Birth Certificate of applicant (if OFW's child) issued by the Local Civil Registrar

-    Copy of birth certificate of applicant and OFW issued by the Local Civil Registrar (if OFW's brother or sister)

-    Copy of marriage certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar (if OFW's spouse)

-    Copy of OFW's birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar (if OFW's parent)

*        In the absence of a birth certificate, applicant shall submit his/her baptismal certificate and a joint affidavit by two disinterested persons attesting to his/her birth and relationship to the OFW.

6.    Transcript of records, high school or elementary diploma or card/Form 138, (whichever is applicable)

7.    Official receipt of OWWA contribution/Certificate of Coverage (for first hires) and any of the following for those who have previous overseas employment records: Travel Exit Pass, Notice of Employment duly processed by POEA or passport/visa, or transmittal letter from DFA together with the employment contract duly processed by the defunct OEDB or NSB if deployment was prior to May 1982.


A.        Availment Procedure

A.I            Processing Flow

1.       Grantee reports to ROU and accomplishes screening form.

2.       Project Development Officer verifies first with the National Capital Region (NCR) for double availment before actually receiving the required documents from the applicant. An accomplished screening form will be the basis for this step.

3.       NCR verifies correctness of records and advises the ROU immediately on result of verification.

3.1    The MIS Department should develop a system on availment checking and should be responsible in making a masterlist of the SESP grantees.

4.       Grantee reports to ROU and secures application forms and list of requirements.

5.       Grantee submits to ROU accomplished application forms and the required documents.

6.       Project Development Officer accepts application forms and checks all documentary requirements.

7.       Sr. Project Development Officer evaluates papers and recommends approval of application for scholarship.

8.       ROU Chief approves training of applicants.

9.       Project Development Officer prepares the referral slip of grantee to training center/school.

10.     ROU provides NCR with copy of application form. NCR include the name of applicant to the masterlist of SESP grantees.

11.     Grantee returns to ROU the enrollment confirmation portion of referral slip. Fills up incentive and tuition fee cards for monitoring and checking of payment.

A.2           Payment of Training Fees

1.         Training institution submits statement of account and attendance report of SESP trainees to ROU.

2.       Project Officer checks the statement of account including the list of enrollees from the roster of trainees, course and the corresponding training fee and prepares voucher.

3.       Project Development Officer certifies the correctness of billing.

4.       The ROU Accountant certifies the availability of funds.

5.       The ROU Chief approves the voucher.

6.       The clerk prepares check to be signed by designated signatories.

7.       The ROU Cashier releases check to the training center/institution.

A.3           Payment of Allowances

A monthly stipend of six hundred pesos (P600.00) or thirty pesos (P30.00) per day shall be given to SESP grantee to defray his/her transportation cost. The stipend shall be given in full every two (2) weeks after each month of training provided that the grantee has attended 80% of the prescribed schooldays in a given month. Before the full implementation of SESP's decentralization, stipends and allowances will be paid one month after each month of training. Failure of grantee to meet the prescribe attendance shall mean forfeiture of said allowance.

Exemption shall be given to those who suffered from any sickness or who have meritorious cases provided they immediately submit a written notification to the MDD/ROU and present the necessary documents.

1.       The training institution/center submits to ROU the monthly attendance report of grantees.

2.       Project Development Officer checks the attendance report, computes the actual days of attendance in a month and prepares payroll.

3.       The Senior Project Development Officer certifies the correctness of payment for allowances.

4.       The ROU Accountant certifies the availability of funds.

5.       The ROU Chief approves the payroll.

6.       The clerk prepares check to be signed by designated signatories.

B.        Availment Checking

The ROUs shall send to NCR basic information of applicants for recording and availment checking prior to the establishment of an information network that would link OWWA's Database nationwide. It shall keep its own standard database system for the program.

C.        Monitoring & Evaluation

The ROUs shall conduct a regular monthly monitoring and evaluation on the grantees and training centers. The monitoring shall ensure the effective implementation of the program.

A regular monthly performance report shall be submitted to the ROCC not later than the 10th day of each month.

The MDBD/PPO in coordination with the NCR/ROUs shall periodically monitor and evaluate the implementation of the program to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness.


1.         Allocation and Transfer of Funds

Each Regional OWWA Unit shall submit its target and fund requirements to the Regional Operations Coordinating Center (ROCC) for the over-all budget preparation for SESP. Performance targets shall be based on the previous performance of ROUs implementing the program.  The program shall be provided with the budget as approved by the OWWA Board of Trustees. The Central office shall release funds through fund transfer to the Regional Offices.

2.         Management and Disbursement of Funds

The ROU Supervisors or their authorized representatives shall be the approving authority for all fund disbursement requests. All checks for disbursement shall be signed by the ROU Cashier an countersigned by the ROU Supervisor.  The ROUs shall use their existing program fund account.

3.         Accounting Procedures

A separate Book of Accounts shall be maintained for the purpose of recording its transactions as prescribed by the Accounting Division of the Central office.

4.         Monitoring and Reporting System

All ROUs shall submit a monthly financial statement to the Director, Internal Management Services Office (IMSO), copy furnished ROCC not later than the 10th day of the following reference month in the prescribed format.


All Secretariat issuances or parts thereat inconsistent with the provisions of this MOI are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.


This MOI shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 04 Nov. 1997