A N N O U N C E M E N T

EXEMPTION FROM OEC REQUIREMENT FOR QUALIFIED BALIK-MANGGAGAWA

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing informs the Filipinos working in China that the Governing Board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has issued Governing Board Resolution No. 12, Series of 2016, exempting a group of overseas Filipino workers from the overseas employment certificate (OEC) requirement on an experimental basis starting 15 September 2016, following the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to streamline processes in the deployment of OFWs.

Those exempted on a pilot basis are returning workers who are: (1) returning to the same employer and job site, and listed in the POEA database of OFWs; or (2) hired through POEA’s Government Placement Branch.

POEA is already implementing the Balik-Manggagawa Online Processing System which has eliminated the long lines at its offices.

POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 12, series of 2016, states that an OFW Balik-Manggagawa or returning worker returning to the same employer or job site shall, prior to departure, register at bmonline.ph, and provide personal and employment particulars to validate if the worker is indeed exempted from obtaining the OEC. The worker’s updated profile will be forwarded to the Bureau of Immigration which will serve as basis for clearance to exit the country without payment of processing fees.

On the other hand, workers who are not exempted from getting the OEC during the time of registration are required to set an appointment with any POEA office or processing center.

Source: Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (www.poea.gov.ph)