Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has ordered the suspension of processing and issuance of overseas employment certificate (OEC) for all directly hired overseas Filipino workers starting April 25, 2017 until further orders.
All pending applications for OEC as of date were covered by the suspension.
“Direct hires” are Filipinos who are hired directly from the Philippines by their employers overseas without going through any accredited agency. The ones who will not be given OECs from April 25 are those whose application are still pending in the Philippines and have not yet been deployed abroad.
Those who are currently employed abroad and will go home to the Philippines for a vacation are called "balik manggagawa" or returning workers, provided that they are going back to the same employer and same work site.
Therefore, if you are currently employed in Cambodia (holding a valid contract, valid E-visa/Business Visa) and are returning to the Philippines for vacation, you will be able to obtain an OEC in the Philippines to return to Cambodia, if you still do not have an OEC;
For those who already have existing OECs, and you have not changed your employer or worksite, please access your www.bmonline.ph profile and print an exemption before going home;
Be reminded to have your (1) valid labor contract that is acknowledged by the Philippine Embassy (i.e., "red-ribboned"), (2) work permit, (3) valid passport and (4) valid visa in your possession when you go home to the Philippines. It is also advised that you have copies of these documents with you when you travel, in case you are requested to submit copies of these supporting documents to relevant government authorities.
Further inquiries may be addressed directly to the POEA's communication channels:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone Hotlines: +632 722-11-44 / +632 722-11-55
Released: 02 May 2017
