POEA to put up additional assistance centers for OFWs

In anticipation for the arrival of overseas Filipino workers who would be coming home this Christmas, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration will expand its services by putting up more assistance centers for the vacationing OFWs.

POEA administrator Rosalinda Baldoz revealed that they will be expanding their Balik Manggagawa Center at their central office in Manila and will continue their processing units in the malls in major cities of the country.

The satellite mall processing units are located at SM City branches in Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and San Fernando, Pampanga.

Baldoz added that POEA will also continue to issue exit clearance for the returning workers in all its regional offices and deputize OWWA offices located in San Fernando, La Union, Baguio City, Clark Field, Pampanga, Calamba City, Legaspi City, Tacloban City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro City and Zamboanga City.

She added that returning OFWs may also have their exit clearance processed through the Teleserv Express Delivery System, a private company which provides one-way and two-way systems of serving OFWs.

In the two-way system, the worker calls Teleserv hotline 737-7777 and is advised on the requirements for the processing if he is qualified as Balik Manggagawa. The applicant then submits the requirements and pays the fees to the nearest LBC office, the accredited courier of Teleserv.

Teleserv then forwards the documents and fees to the POEA central office for processing. The exit clearance is released to Teleserv, which will forward the same to the worker through the LBC.

The one-way process may be availed when the worker visits the POEA central office and submits the required documents to the Teleserv office located at the Balik Manggagawa Center. Teleserv will submit the documents to the POEA, which processes and returns it to Teleserv for delivery to the residence of the worker.

POEA also issues a multiple travel exit clearance, a set of two or more clearances issued to OFWs for use as an exit document within periods of 12 months from the date of issuance. It allows an OFW who exits from the country more than once in a period of 12 months to secure his exit clearance on a one-time basis.

Baldoz said the workers include, but are not limited to, cabin crew, flight attendants, offshore workers and other worker classifications with short duration in contract and frequent vacations or renewal of contracts. The multiple travel exit clearance is valid only for one year after the date of issuance. - Wenna A. Berondo