Good news to all Overseas Filipino Workers. The Department of Labor and Employment will now scrap the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) upon launching of a “high-tech” Identification Card System for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) starting July 12, 2017. And this Cost nothing but Free!
In a press conference last Tuesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello II said, “On July 12, we will launch the OFW ID before the President”. Stressing that the new ID will serve as “the best gift” of the President to the migrant workers.
One major advantage of the OFW ID is that our Bayani’s (Hero) will no longer line up and is less burdened because they don’t have to undergo long process to get Overseas Employment Certificate from Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. It is a Must for all who wants to be deployed or before you can be deployed for an overseas job, that you have to obtain an OEC from the POEA.
“So, they don’t have to go to the POEA everytime they go and they come back, and go again, they always have to get their OEC. There’s no need. All they have to do is show their ID”, Belo added.
The OFW ID system, according to the Labor Department, is a major component of the Integrated DOLE (iDole) system as approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Belo, in the press conference, told reporters that the iDole Program is a “major breakthrough” of the Duterte administration. It will be officially launch mid-July of this year.
Uses of the OFW ID card:
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Can be used as a universal ID for government transactions such as SSS, Pag-IBIG/HMDF and PhilHealth
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It may serve as a Debit card and ATM card for OFW banks
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Serve as Beep cards for the Light Railway Transit (LRT) or Metro Rail Transit (MRT).
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Possible use as electronic passport
“We will be doing away with the OEC because under this (iDole) program, all bona fide OFWs will be issued the new ID at no cost to the OFW, that will serve as your OEC”, he said. “That’s iDole,the best gift of our President to our OFW”.
Belo also said that he is considering to adopt a system that would make the OFW ID as Passport to all Filipino Migrant workers.
He said he would coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration to fulfill its plan to convert it as a passport.
Secretary Belo said accordingly, “We will talk to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice, through its agency, which is the Bureau of Immigration so this ID under iDole can serve as your passport. You see the advantage, if you are an OFW, you can travel anywhere. You have your passport using the special card”.
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