Several agencies offer critical support and services to OFs, with OWWA mandated as
the main agency tasked with the promotion of the welfare of OFWs and their families.
OWWA’s funds are from membership dues—USD 25 which are supposed to be paid by
employers or recruitment agencies but are passed on to OFWs. According to Agunias and
Ruiz (2007), OWWA is the largest migrant welfare fund in the world. Its services can be
categorized into: (1) education and training; (2) insurance and loans, and (3) repatriation
and reintegration.36 OWWA thus provides developmental as well as emergency support
to its members. Data in Table 27 show trends in OWWA membership from 2006 to 2011.
As of 2012, OWWA has some 1.6 million members.