Philippine officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are setting up an online system to handle applications for Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) or travel exit clearances to benefit overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there.
The Philippine mission expects to have the online system go live before the end of 2012, a report of the news site Gulf News said on Wednesday.
"Our IT group already has the concept for this project but we are still working on the nitty-gritty details of the project. If things go as planned, we will launch the project within the year," Philippine Overseas Employment Administration deputy administrator for management Amy Reyes said.
An OEC is a document that proves a returning OFW is in the Philippines for a holiday and intends to go back to the same employer abroad.
Manila airport officials do not allow OFWs to return to their jobs abroad without the document, the Gulf News report said.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz clarified that the OEC system will not be abolished but will be improved because of OFWs' complaints of "slow processing."
"It is not an abolition of the OEC system. The OEC still stays but we will make the process easier and more efficient," Baldoz said.
Baldoz said the system they aim to have all OEC applications and processing done online.
"We also plan to have the OEC co-terminus with the validity of the contract so that the OFW does not need to apply for it every time," she said.
Details of the project will be announced during Migrant Workers' Day on June 7 along with the other outreach projects of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) for Filipino migrant workers, Gulf News reported.
POEA and many Philippine missions, including the ones in the UAE, have been faulted for the hassle reportedly brought about by applying for OECs.
Acting labor attaché Venus Abad said the application process takes time because of the volume of applicants that we receive on a daily basis.
"During the peak months in April and May, we process around 400 OECs per day. For non-peak months, we process around 200 a day," she said.
Source: GMA News
The Philippine mission expects to have the online system go live before the end of 2012, a report of the news site Gulf News said on Wednesday.
"Our IT group already has the concept for this project but we are still working on the nitty-gritty details of the project. If things go as planned, we will launch the project within the year," Philippine Overseas Employment Administration deputy administrator for management Amy Reyes said.
An OEC is a document that proves a returning OFW is in the Philippines for a holiday and intends to go back to the same employer abroad.
Manila airport officials do not allow OFWs to return to their jobs abroad without the document, the Gulf News report said.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz clarified that the OEC system will not be abolished but will be improved because of OFWs' complaints of "slow processing."
"It is not an abolition of the OEC system. The OEC still stays but we will make the process easier and more efficient," Baldoz said.
Baldoz said the system they aim to have all OEC applications and processing done online.
"We also plan to have the OEC co-terminus with the validity of the contract so that the OFW does not need to apply for it every time," she said.
Details of the project will be announced during Migrant Workers' Day on June 7 along with the other outreach projects of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) for Filipino migrant workers, Gulf News reported.
POEA and many Philippine missions, including the ones in the UAE, have been faulted for the hassle reportedly brought about by applying for OECs.
Acting labor attaché Venus Abad said the application process takes time because of the volume of applicants that we receive on a daily basis.
"During the peak months in April and May, we process around 400 OECs per day. For non-peak months, we process around 200 a day," she said.
Source: GMA News
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