TESDA, OWWA to sign deal expanding skills development for OFWs

 

TESDA trainor conducts skills assessment of OFW in Malaysia (TESDA FB page)

Top officials of the TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) and OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) are set to sign a memorandum of understanding tomorrow in Hong Kong to expand access to skills development for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families worldwide.

The MOA signing between TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez and OWWA Administrator PY Caunan will take place at the OFW Global Centre at United Centre in Admiralty. It will be witnessed by Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. and Labor Attache Cesar Chavez, Jr.

The partnership between the two government agencies marks an important milestone in institutionalizing coordinated government services for Filipino migrant workers in terms of skills training, referrals, scholarships and other benefits.

Details here

“Ang gusto natin, ibuhos palagi ang lahat ng makakaya natin para sa ating OFWs. Sa tulong ng MOA na ito, sa wakas, magiging institutionalized na ang ating coordination para sa profiling, referral, skills training, assessment and certification, scholarship support, pati na rin sa employment facilitation,” said Secretary Benitez in a statement.

(We would like to give us much as we can for our OFWs. With the help of this MOA, finally, there will be institutionalized coordination for the profiling, referral, skills training, assessment and certification, scholarship support, and even employment facilitation (for them).

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“Ang layunin natin sa TESDA, kasama ang OWWA, ay dapat siguraduhin na bawat patak ng pawis at bawat sakripisyo ng OFW ay magbubunga ng mas magandang oportunidad,” he added.

(TESDA, along with OWWA, aim to ensure that every drop of sweat and every sacrifice of OFWs will result in better opportunities for them).

Coinciding with the MOA signing is a competency assessment by TESDA of 63 OFWs trained in massage therapy NC II by in-house trainors of OWWA Hong Kong today and tomorrow (June 6 and 7).

Those who pass the competency test will be awarded their TESDA certificates at the end of the signing ceremony tomorrow afternoon.

OFW in Saudi Arabia undergoes skills assessment in child care with TESDA

The assessments, which were last conducted in Hong Kong by TESDA before the pandemic, are conducted free of charge under TESDA’s overseas assessment program (OAP).

The OAP which was launched in 2014 and further institutionalized through a Joint Circular in Implementing Guidelines in 2016 and amended in 2019, provides free competency assessment and certification services to OFWs on site.

The program was implemented in partnership with OWWA and the Department of Labor and Employment through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (precursor of the Migrant Workers Office of the Department of Migrant Workers).

Since its launch until end of May this year, a total of 10,468 OFWs have been assessed through the OAP, of whom 9,054 were certified for an 86.49 percent certification rate.

Through the MOA, there will also be data sharing, systems integration and joint program implementation at regional offices, migrant centers and overseas facilities, not only for OFWs but also their families.

The partnership builds on existing government efforts to expand services to OFWs, including a 2024 agreement between TESDA and DMW to facilitate the delivery of skills and livelihood training programs for OFWs and their families overseas, supporting the registration of eligible overseas training centers and access to TESDA scholarship grants.

 

Showdown looms at Senate

 

New majority of 12 senators elect Sherwyn Gatchalian as acting Senate President

Another standoff is looming at the Philippine Senate on Thursday,  June 4, after the previous minority bloc convened the 20^th session by gathering what it claimed was a majority of 12 senators, and agreed to declare all positions vacant and proceeded to vote in new leaders.

Elected as Acting Senate President and Speaker Pro Tempore was Sherwyn Gatchalian, who presided over the session in the absence of 11 other senators who had boycotted two earlier sessions in protest at the arrest for plunder and subsequent detention of their ally, Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

After the heads of the various Senate committees were elected, along with a new secretary and sergeant-at-arms, the senators adjourned the session sine die, or at a future date to be determined.

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The crucial 12^th vote came from Senator Chiz Escudero, who moved over from the other side, but denied it was not a political move, but an attempt to restore credibility to the Senate.

The new majority maintained that while the Constitution requires 13 votes for the election of a new Senate President, only a simple majority of the senators capable of casting their votes is needed to convene a session to kick out the Senate President.

As of now, only 22 of the 24 elected senators are able to physically attend sessions. One of the 24, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, is on the run after being issued with an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, while Senator Estrada was slapped with a non-bailable charge of plunder on June 1.

Cayetano says on Facebook that he is still the 'legal, legitimate and moral' Senate president

The change in leadership was immediately condemned as illegal and unconstitutional by ousted Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who announced via Facebook live that the investigation by the Blue Ribbon Committee into the graft-riddled flood control projects will start Thursday.

In line with this, his sister and committee chair Pia Cayetano issued a public notice to a number of resource persons to attend the scheduled hearing.

But Alan Peter himself said his group may be barred from entering the Senate to start the inquiry, and thus called on the public to come out in force to support them.

Senator Erwin Tulfo who acts as the Senate spokesperson, said the new leadership has already rescinded Alan Peter’s order for the Blue Ribbon Committee meeting tomorrow. Instead, the committee hearing will start on Monday.

To ensure no Senate employee is caught in the crossfire between the two opposing factions, Acting Senate President Gatchalian issued an order making Thursday a work-from-home day.

The move, along with the replacement of the Senate secretary and sergeant-at-arms, effectively deprives Cayetano and sub-committee chairman Rodante Marcoleta of the chance to use Senate facilities and resources to conduct their own public hearing on the flood control mess.

Earlier, the new Senate majority called for the upper chamber to “get back to work” after the opposing bloc boycotted the two constitutionally-mandated sessions on June 1 and 2.

The new ruling group stressed that the Senate must continue fulfilling its constitutional duties despite the ongoing political turmoil.

The bloc cited legal and historical precedents in declaring that the presence of 12 members constituted a quorum, and praised Senator Escudero for filling the remaining slot that was needed for the Senate to proceed with the session.

 

First OFW Global Summit set on Jun 7

 

DMW officials announce first-ever OFW Global Summit

The Department of Migrant Workers is set to gather overseas Filipino workers, government agencies and migrant advocates for the first-ever OFW Global Summit in Quezon City on June 7, designated as Filipino Migrant Workers Day.

At a press conference Monday, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the summit aims to strengthen support systems for OFWs while recognizing their role in nation-building.

 “Alam natin na sa bawat pag-alis ng mga OFW, may pamilyang umaasa, may pangarap na binubuo, at may sakripisyong hindi laging nakikita. Ang ating mga OFWs ay hindi lamang nagtatrabaho para sa kanilang pamilya. Sila rin ay malaking bahagi ng pag-unlad ng ating bansa,” Cacdac said.

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(We know that with every departure of OFWs, there is a family hoping, a dream being built, and a sacrifice that is not always seen. Our OFWs do not only work for their families. They are also a significant part of our country's development)

He said through the OFW Global Summit, the DMW, together with OFW leaders and organizations, and partner government agencies, will showcase and provide programs and services that address the real needs of OFWs.

Cacdac said the summit will also tackle priority legislation affecting migrant workers and lessons from previous crises affecting OFWs. 

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The summit, to be held at the Quezon City MICE Center this Sunday, is expected to draw around 1,000 OFWs and connect migrant communities abroad online through livestreaming.

It will feature plenary discussions, workshops, government services, job matching programs, entrepreneurship sessions, and policy discussions focused on migrant concerns.

The DMW said the summit with the theme “Serbisyong Buo, Kalingang Totoo: Inclusive Empowerment of Global Filipinos for Resilience and Nation Building,” forms part of a month-long celebration this June.

Director Francisco Aguilar Jr., overall chairman of the summit, said the event marks a milestone for the DMW.

“Ito po yung kauna-unahang pagkakataon simula ng maitayo ang ating departamento na magkakaroon po ng ganito kalaking selebrasyon,” he said. (This is the first time since our department was established that we will have a celebration of this magnitude).

Among the participating government agencies are the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, Social Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund, Philippine Statistics Authority, Bureau of Immigration, and other partner institutions, which will also provide frontline services during the summit.

 

ICC rejects Duterte’s bid to stop his prosecution

 

Duterte in his first appearance at the ICC in March last year

The International Criminal Court’s pre-trial chamber has denied former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bid to appeal the confirmation of crimes against humanity charges against him.

In a 12-page decision issued Thursday night from The Hague, the three pre-trial judges ruled that the two issues raised on Duterte’s behalf by his former lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman were not “appealable issues” that can be elevated to the ICC Appeals Chamber.

Kaufman had argued that the pre-trial chamber erred in law when it adopted a “flexible approach” in the formulation of the charges against Duterte.

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He also said the judges failed “to articulate a reasoned evidentiary basis for confirming the charges.”

The chamber said in its ruling that the first issue raised by the defense was based on a merging of two questions which the court had already said were clearly separate.

 “Despite the defense’s statement to the contrary, the First Proposed Issue is based on a conflation of two questions that are clearly distinct, as already clarified by the Chamber in the Confirmation Decision,” the court said.

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On the second issue, the court said it was a “ a mere disagreement with the manner in which the Chamber articulated its assessment of the evidence.”

The decision removes all avenues for Duterte to stop the trial of the three charges of crimes against humanity for murder and attempted murder that were confirmed by the chamber earlier.

A trial chamber has already been constituted to handle Duterte’s upcoming trial, and is scheduled to do its first status conference on May 27.

Senator dela Rosa appeared at the Senate on May 13 before fleeing early the next day

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation says it is leaving no stone unturned in tracking down Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who is named co-conspirator in the ICC charges against Duterte, and who has gone into hiding again after attending a Senate session on May 13.

He went underground for six months earlier amid reports that the ICC had already issued a warrant of arrest against him.

Details here

NBI’s  statement came one day after the Department of Justice declared that the ICC arrest warrant issued against dela Rosa is already enforceable after the Supreme Court denied the senator’s request for a temporary restraining order.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said at a press briefing Thursday, “If we see him (dela Rosa), we’ll arrest him,” Matibag said at a press briefing. “We’re looking for him now.”

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Matibag said if NBI agents manage to capture the senator, he would be turned over to the DOJ, which will decide if he should be flown to the ICC in The Hague.

Last year, Duterte was flown straight to The Hague after being arrested on arrival at the Manila airport from Hong Kong, on the basis of an ICC arrest warrant.

Pinay jailed 27 months for theft, use of stolen credit cards

 

General area where theft was committed (Google Maps photo) 

An unemployed Filipina was sentenced to 27 months in jail today, after pleading guilty at District Court to theft of a mobile phone, a Rolex watch and a wallet, and six counts of fraud for using the credit cards she found in the wallet to go on a shopping spree, spending a total of $6,279.50 in one day.

Judge Ada Yim handed the sentence to Mylene Navarro, 48 years old, after the prosecution presented evidence against her, including a water bottle found inside the hotel room which bore her fingerprints, CCTV footages which showed her using the stolen credit cards to make purchases and her admission to police that she used the cards.

Navarro’s case began when she took a drunk Chinese man named Lau to Rainbow City Inn on Pitt St. in Yau Ma Tei in the early hours of  Nov. 23 last year and took his mobile phone, watch and wallet containing personal documents and cash of $2,000. Yau Ma Tei Police said the stolen items amounted to $96,095.50.

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The wallet contained, among other things, five credit cards that would enable her to commit the six fraud offenses.

The police complaint said Navarro first went to a Seven-11 store on Bowring Street and ran up a bill for $2,292.50 which she paid by using a credit card issued by the Standard Chartered bank to Lau.

She then used Lau’s credit card issued by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. in buying $204 worth of products at a Seven-11 store on Jordan Road.

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Navarro then went to a Circle K store on Jordan Road and charged $1,204 worth of products to Lau’s Standard Chartered Bank Mastercard.

She again used the credit card in paying $138 for a meal at a McDonald’s restaurant on Yen Chow St. in Sham Shui Po.

Navarro used Lau’s HSBC Mastercard a fifth time when she bought $227 worth of items at another Seven-11 shop at the MTR Prince Edward station.

Finally she bought groceries at a Wellcome Store on Lai Chi Kok Road in Mong Kok, running up a bill for $2,214 which she charged to Lau’s American Express card.

Phl peso now down to 61.72 to USD

The peso has been dropping to historic lows since the latest Mideast row began at end of February

 The Philippine has again dropped to a new all-time low of 61.721 to the US dollar at the end of trading on Friday, May 15.

This came just a day after the peso plunged to a record low of 61.64 on Thursday.

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Malacanang said this showed that the greenback is strong, and not that the peso is weak.

The Palace also said that the global spike in oil prices amid continuing tensions in the Middle East was another big factor. Combined with the country’s dependence on imports, the local demand for dollars surged, further weakening the peso.

PINDUTIN ITO PARA SA DETALYE

Before the combined US and Israel attack on Iran at the end of February, the peso was gaining ground, strengthening to 57.665 on Feb 27, the last day of trading before the Middle East conflict.

Since then, it has dropped from one historic low to another.

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While the weaker peso has superficially boosted the spending capacity of OFWs, inflation has made it difficult for their families back in the Philippines to live on their former budget.

Recent data from the government showed inflation had hit 7.2 percent in April amid the continuing tension in the Middle East, and the consequent oil price increases.

Bato flees Senate amid ICC arrest warrant

Senator dela Rosa left the Senate without anyone trying to stop him  

Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa left the Senate building early on Thursday following a mysterious commotion that involved the firing of guns. His departure was confirmed by both Malacanang and Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

Senator dela Rosa’s abrupt departure came hours after the International Criminal Court confirmed it had issued a warrant for his arrest as early as November last year on charges of carrying out a bloody war on drugs along with former President Rodrigo Duterte who has been detained at The Hague for more than a year. 

According to Cayetano, dela Rosa left at about 2:30am along with  Sen. Robinhood Padilla “for everyone’s safety.”

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 “Long story short, the sergeant-at-arms confirmed that he’s no longer in the building. I’m waiting for the complete incident report, on what time he left,” Cayetano told reporters in a briefing.

He insisted dela Rosa was within his rights to leave although by doing so he gave up the “protective custody” of the Senate.

Earlier, Palace Press Secretary Claire Castro said dela Rosa had left the Senate premises before dawn Thursday.

She also said that Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca was the first to fire a warning shot at a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent, who was in the adjacent premises of the Government Service System. The NBI agent fired back in retaliation.

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The exchange of gunfire sent reporters and other people inside the Senate premises at the time, scurrying for cover.

The senator who had gone into hiding for six months after reports of the ICC warrant had come out, reappeared at the Senate on Monday, to cast a crucial vote that resulted in former Senate President Tito Sotto being cast out, and Cayetano taking over.

On his way in, he claimed he had wrestled with NBI agents who tried to arrest him on the strength of the ICC warrant.

The NBI denied the claim, saying they were not in the Senate premises at that time, but were in the adjacent GSIS building they were asked to protect.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said they were told to “stand down” after the Supreme Court ordered the government to respond to dela Rosa’s urgent application to stop the enforcement of the ICC warrant without a corresponding order from a local court.

“When the Senate declared that Senator Bato was under their protective custody, we chose to respect that decision because we respect the authority of the Senate as a co-equal branch of government,” Matibag said.

The NBI is requesting the Senate for a copy of the video showing how dela Rosa managed to leave their premises without anyone stopping him.

 

Marcos says government not behind shooting incident at Senate

 

Marcos says on video that the government was not involved in the melee at the Senate

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has issued a video statement saying the government was not behind the gunshots fired inside the Senate building Wednesday afternoon that prompted people inside to run for cover.

The chaos ensued after armed men reportedly tried to attempt to enter the Senate premises where Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has been holed up since Monday after the International Criminal Court confirmed an arrest warrant against him.

(A video footage taken by the Associated Press of the melee inside the Senate is posted here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGHgxh5bRwo).

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Marcos said there was no instruction for anyone to arrest Senator dela Rosa. After the Supreme Court deferred Dela Rosa’s urgent motion to stop his arrest, the president said he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to leave the Senate building, where the senator is under “protective custody.”

“Ang NBI ay sinabihan ko nung lumabas yung resolution nu’ng Supreme Court mga 4 yun kaninang hapon; sinabi ko ‘umalis na kayo diyan’ at nag-comply naman sila. Kaya nung kausap ko si Director [Melvin] Matibag sabi niya walang NBI dito [Senate]. Nandito lahat kami sa opisina,” said the President.

(I told the NBI when the Supreme Court resolution came out, around 4 this afternoon; I told them to leave that area, and they complied. So when I spoke with Director Matibag, he said there was no NBI here [at the Senate]. We are all here in the office.)

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“Walang pumasok na tigalabas na sundalo, na militar, na NBI sa Senado. Hindi po natin alam kung sino yung sumubok na pumasok at saka dahil doon ay nagkaputukan,” he said.

(No soldiers, military personnel or NBI entered the Senate from the outside. We do not know the identity of those who tried to enter and as a result gunshots were fired).

He assured the public that the Senate and the Philippine National Police (PNP) would conduct a thorough investigation.

He explained that only two types of uniformed personnel are stationed inside the Senate: officers of the PNP and members of the Marines.

Both PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and NBI director Melvin Matibag have denied that their personnel were behind the gunshots.

Senator dela Rosa has been holed up at the Senate since Monday to evade arrest by the ICC

Following the incident, the PNP went on full alert status starting at 8:30pm on Wednesday. In a statement it said it has intensified security monitoring and police presence in the vicinity of the Senate.

The national police force said it had deployed about 1,500 personnel at the Senate and its vicinity as part of security measures.

Journalists who were at the scene said the gunshots were fired after men with rifles and protective gear went up the legislative building. They were spotted talking with Senate security staff earlier.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla later told the media that the first shots came from personnel of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA).

He said that at about 7:46 p.m., Senate security staff fired guns to stop the armed men from going up to the second floor of the building.

As the investigation into the incident got underway, rumors started to swirl about it being a set-up to try to get Senator dela Rosa out of the building.

The senator went into hiding six months ago after reports indicated the ICC had issued a warrant of arrest against him, and only resurfaced Monday to stage a coup with allied senators that resulted in Senate President Tito Sotto being replaced by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

Senate coup: Cayetano takes over

 

Cayetano takes oath, witnessed by family members

Senators toppled Tito Sotto  on Monday, May 11, as Senate President and replaced him with Alan Peter Cayetano in a coup that finally succeeded after failing several times, as the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

Cayetano sought to allay concerns that the Senate reorganization was aimed at aborting the impeachment trial, assuring that the Senate will convene as an impeachment court “forthwith”. He did not elaborate on when the actual trial will begin.

In a statement, Duterte’s legal team said it is “fully prepared” to face the Senate trial as “the burden now rests on the accusers to substantiate their claims in accordance with the Constitution, the law, and rules on evidence.”

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This came after one of the 13 who supported Cayetano, Sen. Ronald Bato de la Rosa, broke his six-month absence from the Senate just to vote, which almost did not happen when he was blocked by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation on his way to the session hall.

Dela Rosa scuffled with the NBI agents and ran upstairs, pursued by the agents who were trying to serve on him the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as a co-perpetrator of former President Rodrigo Duterte in his trial for crimes against humanity. Also tagged as co-perpetrator Duterte’s extrajudicial killings was Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.

Dela Rosa complained that he hurt a finger when he stumbled as he scrambled up the stairs. On his motion, the Senate voted to cite the nine agents in contempt but Cayetano released them later to NBI director Melvin Matibag, in return for NBI respecting the Senate’s protective custody over Dela Rosa.

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Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was also on hand to serve the warrant as challenged to do so by Dela Rosa in the past, but but they did not cross paths.

The other senators who cast their votes for Cayetano were Imee Marcos, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Robin Padilla, Joel Villanueva, Pia Cayetano, Mark Villar, Camille Villar, Loren Legarda, and Sotto, who extended traditional parliamentary courtesy to his rival.

The nine who supported Sotto were Bam Aquino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Lito Lapid, Kiko Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, Ping Lacson and Cayetano, who similarly cast a courtesy vote.

Senators JV Ejercito and outgoing majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri abstained.

The Senate reorganization has also resulted in Legarda taking over as president pro-tempore, replacing Lacson, who may also be replaced as chairman of the powerful Blue Ribbon Committee.

VP Sara impeached for second time

 

VP Sara declared in February her plan to run as president in 2028

Vice President Sara Duterte has become the first Philippine official to be impeached twice.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved Monday, May 11, the justice committee report that found probable cause in three complaints filed against the Vice President.

Of the 316 House members, 257 signed the impeachment complaints on the grounds of alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and an assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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This was more than the one-third, or 106 House members, that the Constitution requires for the articles of impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

Twenty-five opposed the impeachment, including three members of her family who are incumbent House members. Nine abstained.

The “yes” votes exceeded the 215 cast by House members who approved the impeachment complaint against her last year. However, the Senate under the leadership of Senator Chiz Escudero did not immediately convene to try that indictment and the Supreme Court eventually ruled the impeachment complaint unconstitutional for violating the “one-year bar" rule.

House members vote overwhelmingly to impeach VP Sara (File)

Before the vote, ML Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima  who endorsed the impeachment complaint said, “These are patterns of bad behavior. These are habits of abuse of power… Impeachment is not political persecution. It is not a partisan activity. It is a constitutional accountability mechanism.”

But Cavite Rep.Kiko Barzaga who voted no to impeachment, described VP Sara as the nation’s “hope” for ostensibly fighting corruption, including the massive irregularities in flood control projects.

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Apart from Barzaga those who voted no were Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste, SAGIP Party List Representative Paolo Marcoleta and VP Sara’s kin in Congress, brother Paolo Duterte, nephew Omar Vincent Duterte and cousin Harold James Duterte.

The three Dutertes walked out of the plenary hall before the casting of votes, but later indicated to the House Secretary that they were voting no to the indictment.

Online contract verification to start Apr 30

 

Labatt Chavez explains the new online verification system as ALA Karen Arlan
and a representative of the systems provider Dataflow look on

Starting on April 30, all overseas Filipino workers who have signed up with the same employer (Balik Manggagawa) need no longer visit the Migrant Workers Office to have their employment contracts verified as they can get this done online.

This was announced by Labor Attache Cesar Chavez, Jr. during a consultation meeting with Filipino community leaders held at the OFW Global Centre on April 19.

Labatt Chavez said the Online Employment Contract Verification System (OECVS) will be rolled out a day before Labor Day, to underline the Department of Migrant Workers’ pledge to make life easier for OFWs.

He said this should ease the problem of overcrowding at the DMW, especially during peak seasons like Christmas and school graduation, when thousands of OFWs line up to secure the overseas employment certificate (OEC) which they need to be able to exit the Philippines and return to their work in Hong Kong.

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But he hastened to add that online verification, which incurs a HK$40 “convenience fee” on top of the HK$80 verification fee, is just an option, meaning those who prefer to personally submit their work contract at the MWO can still do so.

After all the required documents for verification are submitted and the applicable fees are paid, it will take three working days before the process is completed.

“Once (the verification application) is approved, the OEC is automatically generated after 24 hours through the DMW portal,” said Labatt Chavez.

Also in the pipeline according to him, is a new appointment and queuing system for those who wish to avail of services from the MWO. OFWs who walk into the office will be issued a ticket, which means they will no longer have to queue in front of the counters while waiting to be attended to.

Labatt said the OFWs may even take a coffee break right inside the MWO office on the 29^th floor of United Centre building, as it will have the same free coffee station as the one at the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor.

OFWs packed the room where the briefing was held

Addressing the long-standing clamor for the OEC to be scrapped, Labatt said he shares this sentiment, but right now, there is still no better way to guard OFWs against human trafficking and work exploitation once they leave the country.

He urged OFWs to familiarize themselves with obtaining the OEC online, and not rely on others to do it for them as they will be sharing personal data that could be used by unscrupulous people to get them into trouble.

“Ginagawan na natin ng paraan na i-simplify ang proseso, dahan-dahan nating i-improve,” he said. (We are already trying to simplify the process, we will slowly find ways to improve it).

He added that the MWO is always willing to help and hear them out if they have suggestions on how the issuance of the OEC could be improved.

Asked why immigration officers in the Philippines are not recognizing the OFW Pass in place of the OEC, Labatt said that to be safe, OFWs returning to their workplace should secure both documents.

“Ang OEC pa rin ang hinahanap, pero pwede naman pareho,” he said. (It is still the OEC that they want to see, but there’s no harm in having both documents).

Assistant Labor Attache Karen Arlan said the DMW is in the process of talking with airlines in the Philippines as reports indicate the airline staff at the check-in counters are the ones who refuse to recognize the OFW Pass in place of the OEC.

For a complete list of the documents needed for contract verification, please click this link to get to the OECVS portal: mwohk-ph.com/verification-of-employment-contracts/

Or check the Facebook page of MWO Hong Kong

To start your verification application, log on directly to dmw.dataflowgroup.com

If you encounter any problem using the system, you may contact the MWO directly through their website or by phone, 2886 0640