A Facebook post by the Department of Migrant Workers today promoting the OFW Pass as a faster, safer and more convenient alternative to the OEC printed Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) has been met with adverse reactions.
“Ang OFW PASS ay ang digital replacement ng printed Overseas
Employment Certificate (OEC). Mas mabilis, mas ligtas, at mas convenient—lahat
ay maa-access na sa eGovPH app,” the post said. “I-download lang ang eGovPH App
sa App Store o Google Playstore.”
Fourteen hours after being published, the DMW post
has attracted 559 comments, mostly pointing out that the new pass that OFWs should be able to use to travel abroad in lieu of the overseas employment certificate (OEC), was not being recognized at the Manila airport, both by
the airlines when they check in and at Immigration.
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| DMW's latest push for OFW Pass |
Some complained of wasted time going back to the DMW counter
at the airport terminals to get the their copies of their OEC.
The post also earned 1,000 likes, 166 hearts, 47 laughing, 11
caring, eight angry, five surprised snd four sad emojis.
The post followed the one DMW posted last Dec. 11, 2025,
which said: “๐ข๐๐ช ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐:
๐๐ป๐ด
๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ผ๐ป๐ด
๐๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น
๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป!
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
It urged OFWs to download the GovPH App from the Apple App
Store or Google Play. After ID verification, they can go to the DMW section
where they can access the Balik-Manggagawa service, which can automatically
generate the OFW Pass.
It added that the pass has the following color codes to designate its
status: Gray (not yet Generated/Voided), Green (Active), Blue (Used), Amber (Expiring
Soon), and Red (Expired).
Another post quoted DMW Sec. Hans Leo Cacdac as saying that the OEC and e-Travel Pass have been combined to make it easier to process OFWs.
He said some 70,000 OFWs have used the pass in its pilot run.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
But some OFWs are not
impressed. A sampling of the comments:
Grace Altillo, who
works in Hong Kong: “Hi Department of Migrant Workers opo naka- access na po
kami bilang isang OFW. Na print na rin po. Pero ang problema pagdating sa
Airport ng Pilipinas, hinahanap parin po pag check-in ang Print Out ng #OEC.
Two copies pa hinanap. ISA for (travel tax) refund at yung isa for Immigration
purpose.”
Aldrin Bautista: Napaka
hassle po.. nagprepare pa din ako nung printed pero pagdating sa immigration eh
magkaiba daw sa nandun sa system pinabalik pa ako ng dmw sa airport to verify
tas sasabihin po ng staff nyo ay hindi makapagdecide ang immigration.. Sana
mayroon kayong proper coordination dahil nakakaabala kayo. Ang haba ng pinila
ko sa immigration tas papabalikin lang.. Jusko PILIPINAS!
Jojo Claros Yaun:
Hassle ang ginawa nyu sa mga OFW, yung Ibang lahi na mga kasama namiin dito sa
Middle East ticket, visa at passport lang (and kailangan para mag-travel)
The comments have yet to be answered by DMW.
