The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against crossing the border to Oman.
In a news release, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz warned runaway OFWs against this practice, saying Oman no longer issues working visas to Filipinos crossing the Oman-UAE border.
Citing a report of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Muscat, Baldoz said Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued instructions "not to issue working visas to Filipinos crossing the border from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), without a no-objection certificate (NOC) from POLO-Oman."
Once the policy takes full effect, Baldoz said she expects within six months:
a decrease in the flight of OFWs from Abu Dhabi, and
a decrease in the number of OFWs seeking shelter in Oman.
"When this happens, our POLO in Oman can refocus its resources to developmental activities, such as training our OFWs in Oman for new occupational skills, entrepreneurial skills, and livelihood and self employment skills which they can use when they come home to the Philippines," she said.
Labor Attache to Oman Ernesto Bihis said the issue of runaway OFWs from the UAE is a lingering problem.
Bihis said 99 percent of runaways at the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) in Oman had crossed the border in Al Buraimi, UAE and were employed by Omanis without the intervention of local Oman recruitment agencies.
"For some time, they can enter Oman because they are not required to obtain no objection certificate from the POLO," Bihis said.
According to Bihis, the Omani government decided not to issue visas to OFWs crossing the Al Buraimi border after Philippine Ambassador to Oman Joselito Jimeno made representations on the matter with the Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Accreditation processing services
Meanwhile, Bihis also said the POLO has reduced its accreditation processing services to one day and has started reviewing the processes on handling welfare cases and other major functions of the POLO Welfare Section, including the FWRC.
He said this aims to further reduce its process cycle times to ensure efficiency, transparency, and integrity.
Source: GMA News
In a news release, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz warned runaway OFWs against this practice, saying Oman no longer issues working visas to Filipinos crossing the Oman-UAE border.
Citing a report of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Muscat, Baldoz said Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued instructions "not to issue working visas to Filipinos crossing the border from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), without a no-objection certificate (NOC) from POLO-Oman."
Once the policy takes full effect, Baldoz said she expects within six months:
a decrease in the flight of OFWs from Abu Dhabi, and
a decrease in the number of OFWs seeking shelter in Oman.
"When this happens, our POLO in Oman can refocus its resources to developmental activities, such as training our OFWs in Oman for new occupational skills, entrepreneurial skills, and livelihood and self employment skills which they can use when they come home to the Philippines," she said.
Labor Attache to Oman Ernesto Bihis said the issue of runaway OFWs from the UAE is a lingering problem.
Bihis said 99 percent of runaways at the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) in Oman had crossed the border in Al Buraimi, UAE and were employed by Omanis without the intervention of local Oman recruitment agencies.
"For some time, they can enter Oman because they are not required to obtain no objection certificate from the POLO," Bihis said.
According to Bihis, the Omani government decided not to issue visas to OFWs crossing the Al Buraimi border after Philippine Ambassador to Oman Joselito Jimeno made representations on the matter with the Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Accreditation processing services
Meanwhile, Bihis also said the POLO has reduced its accreditation processing services to one day and has started reviewing the processes on handling welfare cases and other major functions of the POLO Welfare Section, including the FWRC.
He said this aims to further reduce its process cycle times to ensure efficiency, transparency, and integrity.
Source: GMA News
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