POLO stops issuing OECs

The POLO office on the 16th floor of Admiralty Centre

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) stopped issuing overseas employment certificates (OECs) starting today (September 15).

Instead, overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who are going to the Philippines for vacation and are going back to their employers are required to register with the BM (Balik Manggagawa) Online System of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Labor Attaché Jalilo Dela Torre also asked the POEA to “exempt” OFWs in Hong Kong who are first-time registrants from paying a $20 processing fee.

As of lunchtime today, the BM Online system still requires first-time registrants to pay $20 to finish the registration process and get exempted from the OEC requirement.

For those who are flying back to the Philippines in the next few days, the POLO has set an appointment for them with the POEA office in the Philippines for payment of the processing fee.

According to the POEA, those exempted from securing an OEC are registered BM workers who are returning to the same employer and jobsite and have an existing record in the POEA database.

Before her scheduled flight back to her jobsite or employer, the registered worker is required to log on to the BM Online system (http://bmonline.ph/).

The worker should click the “Acquire OEC or Exemption” for online assessment. Enter flight date and confirm if returning to the same employer and jobsite.

If returning to the same employer and jobsite, the system will show a confirmation message indicating that the worker is exempted from securing an OEC and payment of processing fee. Her BM Exemption number will also be shown.

There is no need to print out any document. The worker should just go directly to the airline counter for check-in. At the Immigration counter, she will be asked to present her passport, which should be valid six months from the date of departure, and have a valid work visa/work permit.

If the work visa does not show the name of the worker’s employer, she may present her valid employment contract, current employment certificate, valid employment ID, and recent payslip.

If the BM system shows that the worker is not exempted from getting an OEC, she will have to set an appointment with the POLO or a POEA processing site in the Philippines.

BM workers who might not get exempted include those returning to a different employer/jobsite, watchlisted workers or OFWs with watchlisted employers, OFWs returning to a restricted country, workers with no POEA records, undocumented workers, or seabased workers who became landbased workers.

OFWs who go directly to Immigration counter without registration will be referred to the POEA Labor Assistance Center for evaluation if the worker can still leave.

For inquiries, please visit the POLO on the 11th and 16th floor of Tower 1 of Admiralty Centre in Admiralty or call 28660640/55291880.