THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday said the passports of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) must remain in their possession at all times.
In its Labor Advisory No. 01-2025, the DMW told all licensed recruitment and manning agen-cies, including their foreign principals and employers, that OFWs shall always have custody of their passports.
“This advisory reiterates the long-standing policy that the passport is the personal property of the Philippine government, and should remain in the possession at all times of OFWs, particu-larly prior to departure and during the period of deployment,” said the DMW.
“The passport must not be withheld, confiscated, or surrendered to the agency, employer, or any third party as a condition for deployment, employment, or accommodation,” it added.
The Department said only two circumstances are deemed as justified instances for OFWs to temporarily lose custody of their passports.
These are for visa stamping and embassy-required documentation, and for immigration-related processing, where temporary surrender is required by official procedures.
“Licensed Recruitment Agencies (LRAs) shall ensure that passports temporarily collected for visa or documentation purposes shall be returned immediately to the OFW upon completion of the specific transaction,” said the DMW.
It said all OFWs must maintain vigilance over the possession or custody of their passports.
The DMW said this means that OFWs are encouraged to report any unauthorized withholding of passports or coercive practices.
“LRAs or foreign principals, who impose passport withholding as a policy or practice, may be subject to disciplinary action, including disqualification, suspension, or cancellation of accredi-tation,” said the DMW.
