POEA urges OFWs to use online system for OECs

CEBU, Philippines - Due to the lack of manpower, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration encourages Overseas Filipino Workers to use the Balik-Manggagawa Online Processing System to save time and effort in getting an Overseas Employment Certificate.

“This could save time ug aron dili maghuot o magbalik-balik sa opisina ang taga-lagyo aron lang sa pagkuha ug OEC,” said POEA-7 director Evelia Durato.

BM Online Processing System is a web-based facility that enables the Balik-Manggagawa (BM) or vacationing Overseas Filipino Workers to apply online for OECs and have the approved OEC printed by the applicant anywhere, anytime.

This aims to expedite the issuance of OECs for vacationing OFWs who are set to return to their respective foreign employers.

“Naay uban magyaw-yaw kay dili pa kahibalo pero we ask them to be patient and try because it’s less hassle kay kuwang gyud kaayo mi,” said Durato, adding that OFWs with employment visas or work permits and have a record in the POEA database or have been previously issued an OEC under the same employer may use the BM Online Processing System.

BM workers who do not meet the said criteria are advised to still access the online processing system for them to avail of the appointment service through its appointment page for regular processing of their OECs on their preferred processing site and appointment date and time.

Those with appointments will be prioritized in any of the POEA processing sites within the country and even in the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO).

Durato said that online OEC can only be used once and while its validity period is 60 days, it can only be used for single exits.

Meanwhile, POEA-7 has processed documents of at least four OFWs for Liberia, 15 for Sierra Leone, and another for Guinea before reports of the Ebola virus outbreak in the said areas were released.

Durato, however, could not disclose if the OFWs returned in the country or not because some of them were directly hired by their employers.  —ATO (FREEMAN)