The Bureau of Immigration (BI) asked yesterday prospective Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to secure the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) before going abroad.
BI Spokesperson lawyer Elaine Tan said “OFW must have the OEC upon departure as provided for under the guideline of the Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).”
Ms. Tan issued the statement following the complaints aired by the Internet gaming community on the deferred departure last Saturday of members of the Philippine Dota Team 2, Rave.
Tan said that three Filipino members of the team carried Korean E-6 visas, which she explained is a working visa issued by the Korean government to foreigners seeking employment in that country.
“We are coordinating with the POEA to make the process easier for the public, so as not to cause any inconvenience to the travelers,” Tan, but she stressed “the BI must also implement the IACAT guidelines.”
However, the POEA already issued a statement last Monday that online gamers and other athletes, who will compete abroad, are exempted from getting any clearance from its offices.
POEA Administrator Hans Cacdac issued the clarification after Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino demanded an official explanation from the POEA on the offloading of Team Rave last week.
The Filipino members of Korean-based Team Rave, which included Mark Pilar, Djardel Mampusti, and Ryo Hasegawa, were supposed to fly to South Korea to undergo training before joining international competitions, when they were barred by BI officers from their flight due to alleged “lack of proper documents” last April 3.
Cacdac said the case of Team Rave is not related to any POEA requirement since the nature of their overseas travel is not work-related.
“I can say that athletes, including cyber games, are exempted from securing a POEA clearance” Cacdac said in his official twitter account.
Manila Bulletin
