Various overseas Filipino workers (OFW) organizations in the country welcomed a recent decision of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration that clearly acknowledge an unconstitutional practice in the issuance of overseas employment certificates, also known as exit clearance.
Several OFW groups have strongly backed the OFW Family Club’s protest against making payment of PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG insurance collections a requisite in the issuance of OEC’s.
OFW Partylist Rep. Roy V. Señeres said that under POEA Advisory 6-2015, the agency will no longer link premium payments for PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG with the issuance of OECs starting April 1.
OEC is a requirement under the POEA rules and regulations that seek to help guarantee that OFWs deployed in various countries are properly documented and protected.
The certificate is required to be presented to international ports of exit in the Philippines as proof that the holder is a bonafide OFW.
Manila Bulletin
