Migrant Workers Office: 20 Posts and What They Do
Department of Migrant Workers · employment
Quick answer
A Migrant Workers Office is co-located with a Philippine Embassy or Consulate General and paired with an Overseas Welfare Office, each with a named welfare officer, an owwa.gov.ph country email and separate MWO and OWWA phone lines. OWWA lists 20 such posts.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from DMW's official published sources: OWWA | Key Officials, Overseas Welfare Offices (https://owwa.gov.ph/key-officials-overseas-welfare-offices/, retrieved 2026-08-31); OWWA | OWWA eCard FAQs (https://ecard.owwa.gov.ph/faqs/, retrieved 2026-08-31); Department of Migrant Workers | Frequently Asked Questions (https://dmw.gov.ph/faqs, retrieved 2026-08-31). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with DMW before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-08-31.
A Migrant Workers Office is not a standalone building. It sits inside a Philippine Embassy or Consulate General and is paired with an OWWA Overseas Welfare Office, with a named welfare officer on the door.
What each listing shows
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host post | The Philippine Embassy or Consulate General |
| Office | Migrant Workers Office, Overseas Welfare Office |
| Officer | A named Welfare Officer, and in some posts additional staff |
| Address | The full street address |
| A country address at owwa.gov.ph, and in some posts a dmw.gov.ph MWO address | |
| Phones | MWO numbers and OWWA numbers listed separately |
| Hotline | Published for several posts |
The 20 posts listed
| Region | Locations |
|---|---|
| Asia and the Pacific | Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand |
| Middle East | Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar |
| Europe | Greece, Spain, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic |
That is what OWWA’s page listed on 31 August 2026. This page does not claim it is the complete global network.
Two worked examples
| Brunei | Hong Kong | |
|---|---|---|
| Host post | Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines | Consulate General of the Philippines, Hong Kong SAR |
| Address | Annajat Complex, Lot 71077, Kampong Mata-Mata, Mukim Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan | 2902 29/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty |
| brunei@owwa.gov.ph | hongkong@owwa.gov.ph, mwo_hongkong@dmw.gov.ph | |
| MWO numbers | +673 237 052, +673 236 981, +673 7291316 | Published on the page |
| OWWA number | (00673) 2225526 | Published on the page |
| Hotline | +673 874 1972 | - |
The ID you bring
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Document | The OWWA eCard |
| Standing | Recognised as a government-issued identification card |
| Where it works | Any Migrant Workers Office, embassy or consulate abroad, when assistance or services are needed |
| Cost | Free on first issuance |
| Digital version | Through the OWWA Mobile App, which functions like the physical card |
| Requirements | A valid passport and the most recent OWWA membership document |
The OWWA eCard guide covers it in full.
What the office network sits on top of
| Benefit | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Death, natural causes | ₱100,000.00 |
| Death, accidental | ₱200,000.00 |
| Burial gratuity | ₱20,000.00 |
| Disability, partial | ₱2,500.00 to ₱25,000.00 |
| Disability, total or permanent | ₱50,000.00 to ₱100,000.00 |
| MEDPLUS | Up to ₱50,000 |
| Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay | ₱5,000.00, ₱10,000.00 or ₱20,000.00 |
| Tulong Puso | ₱150,000.00 to ₱1,000,000.00 |
| EDSP scholarship | ₱60,000 |
| ODSP scholarship | ₱20,000 |
| SESP scholarship | ₱14,500 |
| SUP | ₱7,500 |
The OWWA benefits guide, the scholarship guide and the OWWA loan guide cover them.
Repatriation
| What OWWA publishes | |
|---|---|
| Programme | Repatriation Assistance Program |
| Scope | Distressed OFWs and human remains |
| Emergency repatriation | During political unrest or natural calamities |
| On arrival | Airport assistance; temporary shelter at the OWWA Halfway Home; psycho-social counselling; stress debriefing; transport or fares for onward travel to the province |
| Who may avail | OFW members and other Overseas Filipinos |
| Also published | A 24/7 Operations Center |
Keeping cover current while abroad
| Item | Figure | Where it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| OWWA membership | USD $25.00, active until the contract ends or 2 years from effectivity | OWWA membership |
| Renewal channels | OWWA Mobile App, overseas jobsites, or a Regional Welfare Office through next-of-kin | OWWA eCard |
| SSS | 32 foreign offices; contributions ₱760.00 to ₱5,280.00 a month | SSS for OFWs |
| Pag-IBIG | ₱200 a month | Pag-IBIG for OFWs |
| OEC | Valid 60 days, single exit | OEC guide |
| Passport | ₱950.00 regular in the Philippines; each post abroad sets its own fee | Passport renewal abroad |
| NBI clearance from abroad | ₱160.00, about 8 working days | NBI clearance abroad |
Where SSS and OWWA overlap
Several countries appear on both networks, which means two different offices serve the same city.
| Country | OWWA Overseas Welfare Office | SSS foreign office |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Yes | Yes |
| Singapore | Yes | Yes |
| South Korea | Yes | Yes |
| Malaysia | Yes, at Kuala Lumpur | Yes, Kuala Lumpur |
| Kuwait | Yes | Yes |
| Qatar | Yes, Doha | Yes, Doha |
| Bahrain | Yes, Manama | Yes, Manama |
| Oman | Yes, Muscat | Yes, Muscat |
| Germany | Yes | Yes, Milan and Rome in Europe; Germany not listed by SSS |
The SSS for OFWs guide lists all 32 SSS posts.
What this page does not cover
Neither OWWA nor DMW publishes, on the pages read for this guide, the opening hours of individual Migrant Workers Offices, a complete global list of MWOs beyond the 20 posts on the page read, the services an MWO performs as distinct from OWWA’s, contract verification procedures, or an appointment system for a post abroad. None of those are stated here.
Related
The OWWA eCard guide covers the ID you present at an MWO, the OWWA benefits guide what the network administers, and the SSS for OFWs guide the parallel social-security network.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Migrant Workers Office?
- An office co-located with a Philippine Embassy or Consulate General abroad and paired with an OWWA Overseas Welfare Office. OWWA's directory lists each one with a named welfare officer, a street address, a country email at owwa.gov.ph, and separate MWO and OWWA telephone numbers.
- How many are there?
- OWWA's Overseas Welfare Offices page, as read on 31 August 2026, lists offices in 20 locations: Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Greece, Spain, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. This page does not claim that is the complete global network, only what that page listed.
- What ID do I bring to an MWO?
- The OWWA eCard. OWWA states it is recognised as a government-issued ID and can be presented at any Migrant Workers Office, embassy or consulate abroad when assistance or services are needed.
- What can an MWO help with?
- OWWA frames the eCard as giving access to welfare programs, reintegration initiatives, training and livelihood opportunities. The published benefit amounts behind those are set out below.
- Can I renew my OWWA membership at an MWO?
- OWWA states members may renew through the OWWA Mobile App or at overseas jobsites, and that next-of-kin or relatives may renew at the nearest Regional Welfare Office in the Philippines. Membership is USD $25.00 and stays active until the contract expires or 2 years from effectivity, whichever comes first.
- What does an MWO email address look like?
- Two patterns appear in OWWA's listings: a country address at owwa.gov.ph, such as brunei@owwa.gov.ph and hongkong@owwa.gov.ph, and in some posts a DMW address such as mwo_hongkong@dmw.gov.ph.
- Is the MWO the same as OWWA?
- They are paired but listed separately. Each entry gives MWO telephone numbers and OWWA telephone numbers as distinct lines, and several posts add a hotline.
- What if I am in trouble abroad?
- OWWA runs a Repatriation Assistance Program that brings distressed OFWs and human remains back to the country, with emergency repatriation during political unrest or natural calamities, plus airport assistance, temporary shelter at the OWWA Halfway Home, psycho-social counselling, stress debriefing and onward transport. It also lists a 24/7 Operations Center.
More DMW guides
Sources
- OWWA | Key Officials, Overseas Welfare Offices, retrieved
- OWWA | OWWA eCard FAQs, retrieved
- Department of Migrant Workers | Frequently Asked Questions, retrieved