DEPARTING overseas Filipino workers with expired overseas employment certificates (OECs) need not worry about potential further delays in their deployment.
That is because the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Thursday said it is prepared to revalidate their OECs even on the day of their departure.
“Departing Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are hereby informed that expired OECs issued during the period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) shall be revalidated for deployment purposes,” the POEA said in its Advisory No. 48-2020.
POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said newly-hired and returning workers with expired OECS within the ECQ period only need to proceed to the Labor Assistance Center (LAC) in any international airport in the country on the day of their departure for the revalidation.
He said departing OFWs are required to submit the original copy of the expired OEC, copy of employment contract, copy of valid work permit/visa, and valid passport.
The LAC will evaluate the documents and validate them with the available records if the worker’s employment documents have been processed and approved by POEA.
Upon verification, Olalia said the LAC will stamp the expired OECs as “cleared” and shall be deemed revalidated.
Also called as the POEA exit clearance, an OEC is proof of being a documented OFW, and is presented at the airport prior to departure. An OEC is valid for 60 days from the issuance date.
