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Frequently Asked Questions
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Overseas
Filipino Workers Benefits:
Downloadable
Files/Documents:
The OFW Electron Card is an identification
card issued by the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) through its attached agencies,
the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA) and the Philippines Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA). The card is a multi-function
card containing information about the OFW
which he will need in dealing with government
and private institutions, locally and abroad.
The card has the following security features:
- photo card
- digital signature on card face with
matching signature at the back
- tamper proof signature panel, and
- magnetic stripe with security code.
Below are the benefits derived from issuance
of an E-Card:
- Serves as proof that card holder is
a legitimate OFW and an OWWA Member
- Provides and permanent ID card number
that will link OFW's information necessary
in dealing with various government and
private agencies
- Facilitates availment of OWWA benefits
and services
- Can be used as a remittance card,
and ATM or a debit card at the option
of the OFW.
The E-Card is given
free of charge to all qualified OFWs.
All land-based workers who secure their
OEC at the following offices are issued
an E-card.
- POEA headoffice
- POEA Regional Office in Cebu City
- OWWA Headoffice
- Singapore
- U.A.E. (Abu Dhabi & Dubai)
Seafarers and Landbased workers in other
jobsites will get their E-Cards at appointed
dates that will be announced subsequently.
For more details, Please contact our OWWA
Hotline 551-1560 / 551-6641
For more questions, refer to http://www.dole.gov.ph/
Pre - Employment
Services
Processing of Employment Contracts;
Issuance of Overseas Employment Certificates,
Name or Direct Hires, Government recruits
and Household Workers
Government Placement Branch
Ground Floor
Tel. Nos. 722-11-75/76/77
Landbased & Seabased Workers
Hired through Licensed Agencies
Employment Contracts Processing Branch (ECPB)
2nd floor, tel. Nos. 722-11-67/721-94-91
Balik-manggagawa
Balik-manggagawa Processing Division
Service Area, tel. No. 721-07-85
Accreditation of Principals and
Approval of Job Orders
Accreditation Branch
Seabased: 2nd floor, Tel. No. 721-94-93
Landbased : Mezzanine floor, Tel. No. 722-11-86/87
Taiwan & Korea-Bound Workers: 2nd Floor,
Tel No. 722-11-60
Household Workers : Ground Floor, Tel. Nos.
722-11-76/77
Market Research and Promotions
Marketing Branch
Mezzanine Floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-62
Registration of Landbased Applicants
for present and future hiring;
Issuance of Artist Record Book (ARB);
Issuance of Seafarers’ Registration
Cards
Manpower Registry Division
Ground Floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-43/46
Pre-employment Orientation Seminar
Worker’s Education Division
2nd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-85
Provides information and guidance
to the public
POEA Action Center
Ground floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-44/55
Welfare Services
Pre-departure Orientation Seminar
(PDOS);
Worker’s Education Division
2nd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-85
Welfare Services (violation of terms
and conditions of employment
contracts; claims for injury/death benefits;
tracing whereabouts of
workers, request for repatriation of remains,
etc.)
Welfare Assistance Division
2nd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-82
Licensing
and Regulation
Issuance/Renewal of license
Licensing Branch
4th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-49/91
Legal Assistance to victims of illegal
recruitment
Anti-illegal Recruitment Branch
3rd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-89/90//721-06-19
Labor Assistance prior to embarkation
Employment Regulation Branch
4th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-90
Labor Assistance Counter (LAC)
NAIA-LAC, Tel. No. 8321961 local 3703
Adjudication
Legal Assistance and adjudication
of cases arising from employee-employee
relation; violation of recruitment regulations
Adjudication/Recruitment Regulation Branch
3rd floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-48/58
Legal assistance and watchlisting
of contract workers facing charges and complaints
Adjudication Branch
3rd floor, Tel. No. 722-11-42/45
General Administrative
and Support Services
Overseas employment statistics/
General information on overseas employment
materials
Planning Branch
5th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-83/47
Human Resource Development
Human Resources Development Division
5th floor, Tel. No. 722-11-69
Financial and other related transactions
Finance Branch
5th floor, Tel. Nos. 722-11-68/71/78
Certified copy of Information Sheet
and
Overseas Employment Certificate of Filipino
Overseas Worker
Records Division
6th floor, Tel. No. 721-94-89
source: http://www.poea.gov.ph/html/services.html.
How to Avoid Illegal Recruitment
- Check name of recruitment agency against
the list
of agencies licensed by POEA
- If the agency is licensed, check
with the POEA Accreditation Branch if
the recruiter has a current job order
- Allowable placement fee is equivalent
to one month salary exclusive of documentation
and processing costs.
- Don’t pay any placement fee
unless you have a genuine employment
contract
- Don’t accept a tourist visa.
Demand a working visa
- Don’t deal with a fixer
- Don’t be enticed by advertisements
requiring you to reply to a Post Office
(P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for
processing of papers
- Avoid training centers and travel
agencies who promise overseas employment
Are you a victim of illegal recruitment?
The following are considered acts of illegal
recruitment as defined by RA 8042 and are
basis for filing illegal recruitment cases:
- Recruiting and charging or accepting
fees without proper license or authority
to recruit.
- Furnishing or publishing any false
notice or information or document in
relation to recruitment or employment.
- Giving any false notice, testimony,
information or document or committing
any act of misrepresentation for the
purpose of securing license or authority
under the Philippine Labor Code
- Inducing or attempting to induce a
worker already employed to quit his
employment in order to offer him to
another.
- Influencing or attempting to influence
any person or entity not to employ any
worker who has not applied for employment
through his agency.
- Recruiting workers in jobs harmful
to public health or morality or to the
dignity of the Republic of the Philippines
- Obstructing or attempting to obstruct
inspection by the Secretary of Labor
and Employment or by his duly authorized
representative
- Substituting or altering to the prejudice
of the worker, employment contracts
approved and verified by the Department
of Labor and Employment (DOLE) from
the time of actual signing thereof by
the parties up to and including the
period of the expiration of the same
without the approval of the DOLE.
- Withholding or denying travel documents
from applicant workers before departure
for monetary or financial considerations
other than those authorized under the
labor code
- Failure to actually deploy worker(s)
without valid reasons as determined
by the Department of Labor and Employment
- Failure to reimburse expenses incurred
by the worker in connection with his
documentation and processing for purposes
of deployment, in cases where the deployment
does not actually take place without
the worker’s fault.
File your complaints at:
Legal Assistance Division
Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch, 4th Floor,
POEA Building or the nearest POEA/DOLE regional
office; NBI, PNP, Police Authorities in
your area
Filing Welfare Cases
POEA provides the following assistance concerning
welfare of overseas workers and their families:
- Counselling on the following:
a) terms and conditions of employment
contract
b) family relations
c) policies, laws
d) general information
- Conciliation/Conferences: (for Name
Hires processed to POEA and Balik-manggagawa
workers
a. violation of terms and condition
of employment contract
b. claim for medical/death benefits
- Request for:
a. repatriation/for plane ticket or
pre-paid ticket advice (PTA)
b. repatriation of remains/personal
belongings
- Tracing of whereabouts
- Indorsement to Adjudication Office
of requests for watchlisting of overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) with warrant
of Arrest and Hold Order issued by appropriate
agency. (POEA Rules, Book VII, Sec.
4)
- Watchlisting of OFWs for monitoring
and conciliation
a. for breach of code of discipline
for overseas contract workers (POEA
Rules, VII, Rule VI
b. Obligations of overseas workers,
(a) (1) (2) Duty to Family)
c. Delisting from roster of watchlisted
OFWs.
- Request for assistance in maltreatment
and detention cases, (withholding of
documents), etc.
- Referral program
a. free legal aid (Integrated bar of
the Phils. (IBP), UP Law Center, Public
Attorney’s Office (PAO), Department
of Justice, etc., UST, Ateneo, San Beda,
Commission on Human Rights, and Free
Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)
b. Coordination with appropriate office:
OWWA, DFA, NLRC, Labor Posts/Embassies
- Indorsement to Pre-Employment Services
Office (PSO) of requests for inclusion
of principal/employers in the POEA watch
list; request for delisting
- Issuance of clearances to agencies,
OFWs, principals, employers
- Penalties:
a. watchlisting of principals
b. watchlisting of workers for monitoring
and conciliation
c. suspension of documentary processing
of agencies for non cooperation
Where to file:
Assistance and Welfare Division, Welfare
Service Branch
2nd Floor, POEA Building
Tel. No. 722-11-96/722-11-82
Who may file :
Worker, family of contract worker, agency,
employer
Documents needed:
Overseas Employment
Certificate (OEC)
Employment Contract
Death Certificate and Affidavit of
Succession of Heirs (in case of death
claims)
Medical Report (in cases of medical
disability benefit claims)
For cases of non-support:
Marriage Contract and birth certificate
of the children
Filing Administrative Cases
AGAINST RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
For violation of recruitment laws, rules
and regulations
- overcharging of placement fee
- pre-mature collection of placement
fee
- misrepresentation
- withholding of travel documents
- failure to deploy without valid
reason
- failure to reimburse documentation
expenses when deployment did not take
place without the worker’s fault
- substitution and alteration of
employment contract
Where to get legal assistance:
Legal Assistance Division
POEA head office or any POEA Regional
Office
AGAINST A FELLOW WORKER
For offenses while working overseas:
- misappropriation of property or
money of fellow worker entrusted for
delivery
- creating trouble
- theft/robbery
- possession of deadly weapon
- drunkenness
- drug addiction, etc.
Where to get legal assistance:
Legal Assistance Division
POEA head office
AGAINST FOREIGN EMPLOYERS
- Defaulting on their contractual
obligation to the workers
- Violation of rules and regulations
on overseas employment
- Grave misconduct
Where to get legal assistance:
Legal Assistance Division
POEA head office
Philippine
Embassy or Consulate nearest the jobsite
of the worker
AGAINST RECRUITMENT AGENCY AND FOREIGN
EMPLOYERS
- Money claims arising from employer-employee-relationship
such as unpaid wages, breach of contract
and illegal dismissal
Where to get legal assistance:
Migrant Worker’s Desk
National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC)
NLRC Regional Offices where the complainant
resides
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