Overseas Filipino Workers often find themselves hesitant to return home because of the lack of support and services for them, especially for those who have been abroad for a long time. The National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) changes that. It’s a one-stop shop where you can get information on various government programs and services, but it’s also more than just that.
If you or anyone you know have been planning to return to the Philippines for good, but aren’t quite sure of what options they have to live comfortably in the country, then the NRCO is the place to go. The center will provide all the information you need and even help you find a job once you’re back home. Keep on reading to learn more about this agency.
What is the Meaning of NRCO
One of the fears of many OFWs is that when they come back home, they won’t be able to find a job. The government does not just offer jobs for OFWs; it also provides them with the necessary training to make them more employable and productive. The NRCO helps in this regard by providing information on various government programs that offer assistance in finding employment or creating one. It also provides information on agencies that can provide the necessary training for OFWs who want to be more employable. The NRCO is a government agency that helps OFWs who want to come back home or those who are already here but want to find employment.
NRCO, or the National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers, is a government agency established by the Department of Labor and Employment in the Philippines (DOLE). This was established to help overseas Filipino workers achieve their long-term aim of establishing a sustainable livelihood project when they return to the Philippines and are “reintegrated” into society.
After all, OFWs will not be able to work abroad indefinitely. Therefore, they must have something to look forward to when they return home permanently.
Purpose of NRCO
The National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) is a government agency that works to empower OFWs and their families to work and live with an entrepreneurial mindset, primarily by raising awareness about the importance of saving and equipping them to plan for investment, business, or local employment upon their return.
The NRCO also responds to the reintegration needs of displaced and distressed OFWs by providing them with financial assistance.
These services are important not only for OFWs, but also for their families, especially now, since wars, calamities, and economic downturns have made it more challenging for OFWs to find employment abroad.
Functions and Responsibilities of NRCO
With the establishment of the DMW, you might ask what the function of the NRCO is now. The NRCO, which was established to support OFWs abroad and in the Philippines, continues to serve as a major conduit for financial assistance from the government to OFWs. It also provides a wide range of services to OFWs, such as education, health, employment, housing, and other miscellaneous financial assistance.
List of Programs and Services of NRCO
The NRCO offers a variety of programs that help Filipino workers, including:
1. Balik Pinay! Balik Hanapbuhay! Program
The year 2011 was the Balik Pinay! program was created to assist female OFW returnees in building and operating their own businesses through the Balik Pinay! Balik Hanapbuhay! Program. The program includes both a livelihood skills training session and the delivery of starter kits. The Program’s scope was expanded by Administrative Order 333 of 2013 to include female OFWs in POLO Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Resource Centers (MWOFRCs). Over 4,000 people have benefited from the program over the last four years, with many starting their own businesses or employing newly acquired skills.
Returning member-OFWs (distressed/displaced) would be given a package of livelihood support/assistance worth up to Php 20,000.00 as a start-up or supplemental funds for their livelihood activity.
Who is Eligible?
Women returning from overseas employment are eligible for this program, with priority given to women displaced by hostilities or conflicts in their home country and who have also been victims of unlawful recruiting or trafficking. Other distressed domestic workers can apply as well.
What are the Requirements?
1. Application Form (with Undertaking that the cash assistance will be used solely for self-employment or for starting or expanding of livelihood project or business).
2. Entrepreneurial Development Training Certificate
- Financial Literacy;
- Entrepreneurial Development Training; and
- Livelihood Skills Training
3. The RWO Director has approved a business plan/proposal reflecting the sustainability/feasibility of the chosen livelihood enterprise.
4. Repatriation or return to the Philippines documentation
- Passport
- Travel documents
- Airline ticket
Procedural Guidance
Step 1: Qualified Balik Pinay! availees should submit their requests to the DOLE Regional Office closest to their intended business site.
Step 2: The recipients will receive a commercial enterprise start-up kit based on their training.
Step 3: All BPBH participants must complete skills training in the field of their choice to be prepared to start a small business.
2. Livelihood Development Assistance Program (LDAP)
In 2014, the Livelihood Development Assistance Program (LDAP), formerly known as the 10K Livelihood Assistance Program, was revamped to provide assistance for undocumented Overseas Filipino Workers.
The Program was established in 2011 by Administrative Order No. 77 Series of 2011, which provides funds for livelihood aid to returning OFWs.
Between 2011 and 2014, LDAP provided livelihood assistance to over 15,000 people through initiatives such as rice trade and sari-sari stores.
The recipients will be granted a P10,000 business enterprise start-up kit. This will include the materials they need to establish their intended business.
Who is Eligible?
- Undocumented Filipino workers who have returned to the country are eligible for this program.
- Those who obtained their passports through fraud or misrepresentation; those who have expired visas or permits to stay; those who have no travel documents at all; those who have valid but inappropriate visas; or those who have employment contracts that were not processed by the POEA or later verified and registered on-site by POLO, if required by law or regulation.
What are the Requirements?
- LDAP Request Form
- Passport copy
- Philippine Arrival Stamp (in your passport)
- Boarding Pass/Airline Ticket (Latest arrival in the country)
- Employment Contract/Work Contract/Other Proof of Employment
- Proof of Loss of Employment (Certificate from Employer)
- Endorsement from Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Lieu of Certificate of Loss of Employment from Employer
Procedural Guidance
Step 1: Applicants should apply to the nearest DOLE Regional Office if they meet qualifications.
Step 2: To be eligible for a small-business loan, all LDAP participants must complete the Small Business Management Training and Financial Awareness Seminar.
3. Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw Ang Ma’am at Sir! Program / Assist WELL
Assist WELL is an acronym that refers for Welfare, Employment, Livelihood, and Legal Assistance. Initially designed to return OFWs from crisis/emergency situations in accordance with relevant alert level systems, the program has since been expanded to reclaim Filipino workers abroad and reverse outmigration by improving their skills and allowing them to stay in the Philippines to work for higher-paying jobs or start a profitable business.
The “Sa Pinas, Ikaw, ang Ma’am and Sir” project intends to retrain HSWs in the skillset required for the Teacher 1 position in the Department of Education, allowing them to be hired in their hometowns and move away from domestic employment. In addition to teaching positions with the Department of Education, these returning OFWs have access to a variety of non-teaching and other jobs in the Philippines’ public and private labor markets.
Who is Eligible?
- OFW LET Passers
- With teaching experience within the last (5) five years.
- With teaching experience beyond (5) five years
- Without teaching experience (need to undergo refresher course)
- OFW who arrived home for not more than (3) three years based on the current year.
What is Online Refresher Course?
This course is designed for teachers and certified professional instructors who are in a non-teaching role overseas. It will help them stay up to date with current practices, and improve their pedagogic abilities and knowledge.
This program’s flexible curriculum focuses on relearning core competencies in certain specializations to the greatest extent possible. It assists education degree holders in staying current with the demands of modern educational practice.
What are the Requirements?
- Accomplished Application Form
- Passport copy
- Philippine Arrival Stamp (in your passport)
- Boarding Pass/Airline Ticket (Latest arrival in the country)
- Employment Contract/Work Contract/Other Proof of Employment
How and Where to Apply?
Step 1: Fill out the online application form at https://nrco.fole.gov.ph/index.php/spims.
Step 2: If the applicant is already in the Philippines, go to the nearest DOLE Regional Office, or if they are still abroad, go to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
Step 3: Contact the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), ground floor, Blas Ople Development Center, Solana and Victoria Sts. Intramurous, Manila, at spims.updates@gmail.com or wrtsd.nrco@gmail.com or call (02) 527-6184 or 526-2392.
Step 4: You can also go to www.facebook.com/dole.nrco and join the NRCO Facebook page.
- For the conduct of the refresher course, DOLE-NRCO will endorse to PNU a list of identified OFW-LET Passers.
- PNU will send an email to the OFW. To gain access to the online platform, OFWs will be provided an Enrollment Key.
4. Women Reintegrated and Economically Active At Home Program (Women REACH)
The Women REACH (WR) Program was established to assist our returning female OFWs adjust and reintegrate into the country. “DOLE and Coca-Cola Philippines have agreed to execute enabling measures that may aid returning OFW women in exploring possible economic prospects,” according to a press statement.
The Coke global pledge to economically empower 5 million women by 2020 connects with the Women REACH program (5by20). The OWWA NRCO collaborated closely with Coca-Cola Phils in developing standardized entrepreneurial programs due to its emphasis on economic reintegration.
Coca-Cola Philippines will collaborate with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to develop a comprehensive entrepreneurial training and learning course, including its Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and Impact Measurement Tools, and will help to establish a pool of instructors. The modules will subsequently be promoted by the DOLE.
Who is Eligible?
- Female OFWs who returned home
- Distressed female OFWs
What are the Requirements?
- Accomplished Application Form
- Passport copy
- Philippine Arrival Stamp (in your passport)
- Boarding Pass/Airline Ticket (Latest arrival in the country)
- Employment Contract/Work Contract/Other Proof of Employment
Procedural Guidance
- The Women REACH Module 1 focuses on empowerment.
- Module 2 dealt with personal finance.
- Module 3 focused on company concept generation and startup.
Services
Psycho-social Component
Psycho-social component includes services such as:
- Psycho-social counseling
- Stress debriefing
- Values formation
- Financial literacy
- Capacity-building through aid in community organizing and maintaining OFW Family Circles (OFCs)
Livelihood Component
A. Balik-Pinas, Balik-Hanapbuhay Program
It is a non-cash livelihood support/assistance program designed to provide immediate relief to returning member OFWs, active or inactive, who have been displaced from their jobs due to war/political conflicts in host countries, host government policy reforms, controls, and changes, or who have been victims of illegal recruitment and/or human trafficking, or other distressing situations.
Within the program, they should get up to PhP 20,000 in start-up or supplement money for a livelihood initiative of their choice.
What are the Requirements?
- Application Form (with Undertaking that the cash assistance will be used solely for self-employment or for starting or expansion of livelihood project or business).
- Entrepreneurial Development Training Certificate
- Financial Literacy;
- Entrepreneurial Development Training; and
- Livelihood Skills Training
- The RWO Director has approved a business plan/proposal reflecting the sustainability/feasibility of the chosen livelihood enterprise.
- Repatriation or return to the Philippines documentation
- Passport
- Travel documents (i.e., Airline ticket, etc)
B. Financial Awareness Seminar (FAS) and Small Business Management Training (SBMT)
This training aimed to assist OFWs and their family with financial literacy in relation to overseas work, as well as encouraging them all start up small business ventures.
Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)
The ELAP program provides financial assistance to the dependents of dead OWWA members who were active OFWs at the time of their death. A scholarship stipend is given to one child, usually the eldest child of an OFW member (P5,000 for elementary, P8,000 for high school, and P10,000 for college). If the OFW was married, the surviving spouse would receive P15,000, while the mother or father would receive P15,000.
What are the Requirements?
- Application Form (2 copies)
- 2×2 Recent and Identical Photos (2 copies)
- Death certificate or another record of a similar nature (to the deceased OFW)
- Official transmission from the embassy or consulate
- Proof of relationship to an OWWA member. Any of the following:
- Birth Certificate (issued by PSA) of applicant, if child of OFW (ORIGINAL)
- Birth Certificate (issued by PSA) of both applicant & OFW, if OFW’s brother/sister
- Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR of OFW) from PSA (proof of unmarried)
- Receipt of proof of enrollment
Any of the following:
- Enrollment Assessment Form (EAF)
- Certificate of Registration (COR)
- Certificate of Enrollment (COE
- Enrollment document (Electronic Format)
Any of the following:
- Evaluation Form
- Admission Test Score
- Proof of OWWA Any of the following:
- Official Receipt of OWWA Contribution
- OFW Verification Sheet issued by MPC
- Health Certificate
- Certificate of good moral character issued by the principal/guidance counselor
- Certification that applicant belongs to the upper 20% of the Elementary and High School Graduating Class and that he has a GWA average of above 80% in his Elementary and High School report card.
- Applicant’s Certificate of not having taken post secondary or undergraduate/ college units and not a Recipient of any scholarship grant / has not taken the EDSP Qualifying Examination.
- Sworn Statement that he/she has no pending application for resident immigrant status in any country and does not have dual citizenship signed by parent or legal guardians.
- Copy of the Scholarship Agreement in its original form
Video: ANO ANG OWWA-NRCO AT MGA PROGRAMA PARA SA OFWS?
Here’s a video resource to learn more about the OWWA-NRCO and its programs for OFWs. You might wonder what to expect about the OWWA-NRCO and its programs for OFWs. The goal of this agency is to support OFWs through the development of their businesses and communities. The agency also helps OFWs to secure their future through education, training, and livelihood programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers about the NRCO.
1. What is the Department of Labor’s Reintegration Services?
The Department of Labor’s Reintegration Services are a collection of interventions and processes planned and carried out by social partners to assist OFWs in returning to their families and communities following their overseas employment.
2. What is the mission of NRCO?
The NRCO’s mission is to empower OFWs and their families to work and live with an entrepreneurial mindset, primarily by raising awareness about the importance of saving and preparing them to plan for investment, business, or local employment upon their return, as well as responding to the needs of displaced OFWs and OFWs in need.
3. What is Balik-Hanapbuhay?
The Balik-Pinas, Balik-Hanapbuhay Program is a non-cash livelihood package designed to accommodate and subsidize returning OFWs who have been displaced from their job due to war or political conflict, policy reforms, controls, and changes implemented by the host government or who have been victims of illegal recruitment, human trafficking, or other distressing situations. This program will be available to OFWs who have decided to return to the Philippines permanently.
4. What are OFW Capability Enhancement Services?
These services equip returning Overseas Filipino Workers with the skills they need to reintegrate into their communities.
These are especially important for those who have been out of the country for a long time and need to adapt to life in the Philippines. The services include training in entrepreneurship, vocational courses and skills development programs, as well as financial literacy training.
5. What is the OFW Family Development Fund?
This fund will help the families of Overseas Filipino Workers by making low-interest loans available fast. These loans can be used to cover medical expenses or other immediate needs that cannot be supplied by traditional banking institutions.
6. What is financial awareness seminar?
Training alternatives for OFWs in the Reintegration Program include the Financial Awareness Seminar (FAS) and Small Business Management Training (SBMT), among others. The initiative is intended to help OFWs and their families by encouraging them to start a business and by providing them with financial literacy skills relevant to their foreign employment.
7. What is OFW EDLP?
OFWs can benefit from the Enterprise Development and Loan Program (OFW-EDLP), formerly known as the OFW-Reintegration Program (ORP), which is part of the OWWA Reintegration Program. OFWs benefit from OWWA’s enterprise development intervention and loan facility, which is carried out in collaboration with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines to promote enterprise development among returning OFWs and their families.
8. What is the Reintegration Program by OWWA and DOLE?
The Reintegration Program results from OWWA and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Under this program, OFWs are reacquainted with mainstream Filipino society through a series of interventions, procedures, and social partners that facilitate a positive return to their families and communities.
Summary
OFWs will not be able to work abroad indefinitely so the government has to come up with a program that will help OFWs re-adjust in their home country. And this is where the NRCO of DOLE comes in.
The NRCO is tasked with the responsibility of reintegrating OFWs back into the Philippines so that they can be productive citizens again. This is done through a series of interventions and procedures that will help them adjust to their new life.
We hope that you’ve gained a better understanding of the NRCO and that you’ll be able to help your family member or friend who’s an OFW. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us in the comments section below!
DISCLAIMER: This post is intended for information purposes only. If you have any concerns or queries about the programs and services offered by the NRCO, you may contact the NRCO directly through the information presented below:
Contact Information
Address: Ground Floor Blas F. Ople Development Center (Old OWWA Building), Corner Solana and Victoria Streets, Intramuros, Manila
Telephone: 0285276184
Email: nrcoreintegration@gmail.com
Website: http://nrco.dole.gov.ph/index.php – link inactive
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NRCOCentral/
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