Overseas Workers Welfare Administration(OWWA)

September 20, 2023 Dear Ms. Angela Rose Ramos, Greetings! Thank you for your request dated Sep 20, 2023 03:47:19 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch for Number of overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the province of Cotabato in relation to the ecological profiling it is doing. Ms. Ramos there is a standardized way for local government units (LGUs) to request data from the national government agencies. By simply looking at your submitted Identification Card, you are not entitled to get access of data about the numbers and characteristics of OFWs in the Province of Cotabato. Cotabato is under BARMM while you are from Kidapawan City- Region 12. This is a suspicious request given the fact that it is election period. Moreover, you have to provide documentary evidences that the Province of Cotabato through its elected LGU officials or the Planning Officers has given you the authority to get information from OWWA. It is unfortunate that you do not know the protocol of the Data Privacy Act in seeking information. Neither do you know the mandate of the government agencies under the executive branch. In knowing the mandates and functions of the government offices (which are available at the respective websites and under the sub-folders of Transparency Seal) you will have a clear definition of the OFWs and where to access data. For your information, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) keeps data only of its member OFWs. We are not allowed to share any information/data which is jointly created by other government agencies providing services/benefits to OFWs. If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing the OWWA- FOI Decision Makers at email: [email protected]. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response and should be made within FIFTEEN (15) calendar days from the date you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within THIRTY (30) calendar days from the date we received your review request. However, if you are still not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011). Thank you. Respectfully, Ma. Cynthia D. Erum FOI Receiving Officer