ON the heels of the directive of President Marcos to make the Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) free of charge, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday said it has no plans to immediately remove the fees.
In a media forum in Manila, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said there are no plans to make OECs free for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) until the shift to the OFW Pass happens.
“I think, so as not to complicate things since it will just be a matter of days, we will just coincide it with the free OFW Pass. This means that once the OFW Pass is launched, we will also make the OEC free of charge,” Ople said.
Currently, securing an OEC requires an OFW to pay a P100 fee.
Data from the DMW shows that it is issuing an average of 6,719 OECs daily. This includes 3,706 OECs for returning OFWs; 1,646 for seafarers; and 1,367 for newly-hired workers.
Asked when the DMW will launch the OFW Pass, Ople said they are hoping it could be done before the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos Jr. on July 24.
“But we don’t want to second guess the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology). We have full respect for their expertise and authority on IT-related matters,” she said.
She said the DMW mobile app, which will carry the OFW Pass system, is now undergoing rigorous testing by the DICT.
“The OFW Pass is set to be launched right after the DICT gives its green light to the DMW,” she said.
The DMW said the OFW Pass, in comparison with the traditional OEC, is convenient, practical, and free of use for all OFWs.
“Our goal is to make the journey of our OFWs much easier,” said Ople.
The DMW mobile app will be available on Google Play and Apple Store, said the DMW.
