List of POEA Registered recruitment Agencies

Many Filipinos in their desire to provide better living conditions for the families. have opted to work abroad where pay is much higher compared to philippines.

However some have fallen victims to bugos agencies who just wanted to take advantage of these Filipinos.

So before applying for jobs abroad, we need to check first the status of the agencies.

Check the link here:

http://www.poea.gov.ph/cgi-bin/aglist.asp

POEA screen shot:

Benefits of an OWWA Member

1. SOCIAL BENEFITS

An OWWA member is provided with the following benefits within the duration of their contract:


Disability and Dismemberment Benefits. A member is entitled to disability/dismemberment benefit of up to PhP 100,000.00 for injuries sustained due to accident while working abroad.
Death Benefit.  A PhP 100,000.00 benefit  in case of death due to natural cause and PhP 200,000.00 in case of death due to accident.
Burial Benefit. On top of death benefit, a rider of P20,000.00 will be received by the legal heirs for the funeral expenses.

2. EDUCATION & TRAINING ASSISTANCE

A. PRE-DEPARTURE EDUCATION PROGRAM
Country Specific Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) - a whole day orientation to OFWs consisting of a comprehensive module on employment contract, profile of the country of destination, stages of the OFWs' life abroad, health and safety, financial literacy, travel tips and airport procedures and government programs and services.

Comprehensive Pre-Departure Education Program (CPDEP) - A 3 to 6-day live out training for Household Service Workers (HSWs) consisting of language training, culture familiarization and stress management to prepare them for life overseas.

B. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR FILIPINO SEAFARERS


a. Seafarer's Upgrading Program (SUP)
Scholarships for attendance to short-term upgrading courses for seafarers. First availment consists of PhP 7,500.00 training assistance. Availment in another training course every after three (3) recorded membership.


C. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DEPENDENTS
a. Education for development Scholarship Program (EDSP)
A scholarship offered to qualified dependents of OFWs consisting of a maximum of PhP60,000.00 per school year, leading to a four-to-five year baccalaureate course in any college or university.

b. OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (OFWDSP)
Scholarship consisting of a maximum of PhP20,000.00 assistance per school year leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree in a state college or university for dependents whose active OFW-member parents receive a monthly salary of not more than USD400.00.

c. Education and livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)
Educational assistance for survivors of a deceased OFW consisting of PhP5,000.00 for college per school year and livelihood assistance amounting to PhP15,000.00 is given to the surviving spouse.

D. SHORT-TERM TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR OFWs AND DEPENDENTS


a. Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)


Scholarship for attendance to short-term training program consisting of a maximum of P14,500.00 per course leading to a completion of a vocational or technical course in any TESDA-accredited school.


b. Information Technology (IT) Training Program


This computer literacy program provides OFWs and their families training and access to technology intended to bridge the communication gap between the OFW and his/her family and allow them to communicate with each other through the Internet. The program also aims to upgrade their IT skills.


3. WORKERS WELFARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
On-Site Assistance and Services
- Assistance on OFWs whereabouts
- Psycho-social counseling
- Mediation/conciliation with employer
- Airport assistance
- Hospital/prison/work camp visitations
- Legal assistance to OFWs who wish to pursue labor/welfare case against their employer in the host country


In-Country
- Request from families and next-of-kin (NOKs) for assistance from OWWA overseas posts
- Post-repatriation assistance
- Counseling, referral, and other concerns.


Request for assistance from NOKs or from OFWs may be channeled through the 24/7 operation Center.


4. SOCIAL SERVICES AND FAMILY WELFARE SERVICES

a. Repatriation Program


Repatriation includes bringing distressed OFWs back to the country or bringing back human remains. Emergency repatriation is carried out in the event of any political unrest or natural calamities.

Repatriated OFWs are accorded airport assistance, temporary shelter at the Halfway Home, psycho-social counseling, stress debriefing, and provision of transport services or fares for their onward travel to their respective provinces.

b. Reintegration Program

Reintegration is a way of mainstreaming returning OFWs in the Philippine society.

Reintegration Preparedness (on-Site). Includes training on value formation, financial literacy, entrepreneurial development training, and techno skills and capacity building trainings.

Reintegration (in-Country). Implemented under the auspices of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) and the OWWA Regional Welfare Offices consisting of job referrals (local and overseas), business counseling, community organizing, financial literacy seminar, networking with support institutions, and social preparation.


2Billion-Peso Reintegration Fund


A 2Billion-Peso Reintegration Fund for business enterprise development is a loan facility, in cooperation with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, where a member or their legal dependent can avail of a loan between PhP300,000.00 to PhP 2 million.

OWWA-NLDC Livelihood Development Program

A loan facility where an OFWs can avail pf PhP200,000.00 loan or PhP 1 million pesos for group borrowers.



source: http://www.polodubai.com/benefits-of-an-owwa-member.html

How to Apply OEC online

Most Filipinos in the UAE who try to get their Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) endure long lines and have to head out early to get to either the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Dubai or the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi only to find out all the slots for that day have been given out.


But that would be a thing of the past in a few months as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) launches an online OEC application process.

OEC is a document attesting that a Filipino is a documented overseas worker who should be allowed to return to his or her jobsite after spending sometime in the Philippines.

It is crucial for every Filipino working overseas, for without it, the airport and immigration personnel would not allow them to board the plane to return to their work abroad.

The soft launch is scheduled to be implemented in the Philippines as early as 2015. Four other hotspots which include Singapore, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have the largest population of OFWs, will go live later in the same year.

“We’re included. I think Dubai is ranked as 4th or 5th in terms of population,” Philippine Labor Attaché Delmer Cruz said in a phone interview.

But he stressed there are still issues that must be addressed like synchronizing all agencies involved in the online system so that when one’s name is checked all the necessary details and membership payments would appear.

For the moment, countless Filipinos are facing problems getting their OEC. Rose Icalla, one of the thousands of Filipinos residing in the UAE, speaking to The Filipino Times said she went to the PCG thrice to get her OEC.

“I went there thrice to get my OEC. The first time I went the 250 per day quota had been maxed out. I returned the next day at 7 am but again all the slots were given out. I decided to come at 3 am. But even at that hour, my number was already at 97. It’s just too much hassle for overseas Filipino workers,” she said, adding that the current location of PCG causes inconvenience as it is away from the Metro, thus, visitors had to take a cab or walk several miles.

Cruz said only a maximum of 400 applications per day can be processed right now at the PCG.

“That is true,” Cruz told TFT referring to unusual and long hours that OFWs spent to apply for OECs, “especially during peak season. We only have two dedicated staff to handle that. We’ve been campaigning for them to get their OEC in the Philippines.”

He said his office even had to delegate other staffers just to accommodate the large number of OEC applicants during peak seasons—March, April, May, Holy Month of Ramadan, November and December.

OEC is valid for three months only and Filipinos must get a new one if they spend more time at home to be able to go back to their host countries.

The Philippine government anticipates the number of Filipinos in the UAE to grow further from the current estimated 750,000 as the World Expo 2020 that Dubai is hosting approaches.

While the majority of Filipinos are employed in the retail and hospitality sectors, a growing number of them are getting key positions in various companies.

Cruz said this is an indication that Filipinos employment skills in various industries are genuinely recognized in the UAE as the country pursues further economic growth.

The labor official, a lawyer by profession, said one of the key skills that Filipinos hold is their ability to write, speak and read English better than other nationalities.

Cruz also said the growing number of Filipinos in the UAE require more resources. Unfortunately, their hands are tied up with whatever the Philippine government allocates for their office.

Nonetheless, he urged Filipinos in the UAE to cooperate with their policies to better serve them as the Philippines tries to move forward to become “Asia’s next economic miracle” and a potential powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We must be responsible for ourselves. We should not expect the state to baby us all the time,” Cruz told TFT.

THE OEC CONUNDRUM

OEC is crucial for every Filipino working overseas, for without it, airport and immigration personnel would not allow them to board the plane going back to their jobsites.

The OEC program is under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or POEA and costs Dh 10. But one is obliged to renew membership with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for Dh92 before the OEC can be issued.

POLO-OWWA is under the Department of Labor and Employment while the Philippine Embassy and PCG are both under the Department of Foreign Affairs. This creates a lot of trouble for Filipinos, who have to shuttle between different departments just to get clearance to come back to their place of work.

Additionally, membership to Pag-IBIG (Mutual Housing Loan Program) must be activated (if inactive) costing Dh10.

Current OEC Requirements

The documents required to process the Balik-Manggagawa OEC include:
1.  Immigration Contract (original) of the worker with two (2) xerox copies
2. Original passport of the worker
3.  Passport copy of the sponsor and the worker – two (2) xerox copies
4.  Residence Visa copy of the worker – two (2) xerox copies
5.  If the sponsor is non local, two (2) sponsor’s residence visa copy
6. OEC forms

7. Preapre the following fees: 10.00 AED for OEC, 92 aed for OWWA membership, 10 aed for Pag Ibig

Click this link: (https://www.bmonline.ph/ ) you will be asked to update your personal information and upload photo. Then you will be directed to choose your appointment date and time.              

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reposted from:

http://filipinotimes.ae/editors-pick/2014/09/05/online-oec-process-by-2015/

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for more information visit:

http://www.polodubai.com/how-to-get-an-oec.html

Filipino authorities cap Dubai travel clearances

Dubai: Issuance of the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or travel exit clearance to Filipino expatriates at the Philippine labour office in Dubai will be limited to 500 a day during peak months like March, July and December, Labour Attache Delmer Cruz told Gulf News.

An OEC is a document required by the Philippine government which proves that a returning Filipino worker is in the Philippines for a holiday and intends to go back to the same employer abroad. It also proves that the he or she has been hired legally.

“In view of the surge in applicants for OEC, we will process the first 500 applications for OEC per day during peak months when OEC applications exceed 500,” Cruz said.

“This is in consideration of our three personnel tasked to issue OEC as they have been working almost non-stop, sometimes until 9pm, just to meet the demand. This practice is taking a toll on our people, and it could compromise their health,” Cruz added.

Cruz said he has already increased the number of staff members issuing OECs to three, despite the limited personnel at the labour office’s disposal. He added that officials have also restricted the processing time per OEC to five minutes at most to be able to maximise time and deliver efficient services.

Cruz offered alternative locations where Filipinos can apply for OECs, such as the Al Shabab Sports Club in Dubai where the labour office will set up a booth every Friday from 1pm to 4pm until July 12. OECs and other labour-related services will be offered at the venue. Up to 100 OECs can be issued every Friday.
Ria Abias, 33, who’s due to fly back to the Philippines on Friday for her wedding, said that she understands the labour office’s decision.

“I am an employee myself and I understand how hard it is when you have to work beyond what is required of you. I calculated it myself and I realised that 500 OECs a day is more than enough,” Abias, an accountant who’s planning to get her OEC on Thursday, told Gulf News.

Cruz said Filipinos can also book appointments online to get their OECs in Manila through the website http://bmappointment.poea.gov.ph/ to avoid long queues and waiting times.