DOLE suspends processing of overseas employment certificates for new applicants



By RIE TAKUMI, GMA News
Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III announced on Friday that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will suspend the acceptance and processing of all new applications for overseas employment certificates (OECs) for 15 working days, from November 13 to December 1.
The departure of an estimated 75,000 would-be OFWs will be put on hold during this period as DOLE launches an investigation to “cleanse” the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) of employees benefiting from illegal recruitment.
Excluded from the suspension are those hired by international organizations, diplomatic corps, sea-based recruitment agencies, balik-manggagawa or workers on leave, and those whose OECs have already been signed or are in Usec. Bernard Olalia and Bello's office.
"We are taking this important action in a view of the persistent reports of illegal recruitment activities including direct hires, and in order to protect the public from the pernicious activities of certain unscrupulous individuals preying on the OFWs," Bello said in a statement.
"I am creating a team that will conduct an investigation to get to the root of this malfeasance and they will submit their official findings and recommendations," he added.
OFWs who wish to return home during this period can still do so, though Olalia warned that the balik-manggagawa program will be assessed as there are reports of new OFWs being deployed as balik-manggagawas.
At the end of the 15 day period, the suspension may be subject to extension as circumstances may require.
Bello said the newest temporary suspension was spurred by persistent reports that 80 to 90 percent of direct hires are victims of illegal recruitment and that some POEA employees earn as much as P250,000 by issuing OECs to illegal recruiters.
Olalia confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte also ordered Bello to investigate these reports.
DOLE will invite the Department of Justice (DOJ) and National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) to be part of the investigating task force. They also encouraged victims of illegal recruitment to come forward and present their case.
“Yung ating mga kababayan po na nabiktima po ng ganitong maling paraan, pumunta lang po kayo sa aming opisina, sabihin ang mga detalye, at kami po ay handang tumulong sa inyo upang malinis po natin ang ating sistema,” Olalia said.
Say said they will implement temporary suspension of OEC processing again as long as there are persistent reports of illegal recruitment within the POEA.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Admin. Hans Leo Cacdac and Usec. Ciriaco Lagunzad will be sent to Saudi Arabia to get "first-hand information" about the reported tension between Saudi and Lebanon during the same period. — MDM/KBK, GMA News

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