Online system set to ease travel hassles for Filipinos

Lifted from Gulfnews

Dubai: The hassle of physically securing travel exit clearances from the Philippine missions here and elsewhere will soon be a thing of the past as plans to make the application system available online are set to go live within the year, Gulf News has learnt.

The Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or travel exit clearance is a document that proves a returning Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is in the Philippines for a holiday and intends to go back to the same employer abroad. Manila airport officials do not allow OFWs to return to their jobs abroad without the document.

Contrary to media reports in Manila, the OEC system will not be abolished but will be improved in response to complaints by OFWs of the "slow processing" of the OEC, Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz told Gulf News from Manila.

"It is not an abolition of the OEC system. The OEC still stays but we will make the process easier and more efficient," Baldoz clarified.

"We are working on a system wherein all OEC applications and processing will be done online. We also plan to have the OEC co-terminus with the validity of the contract so that the OFW does not need to apply for it every time," Baldoz added.

Details of the project will be announced during Migrant Workers' Day on June 7 alongside other outreach projects of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) for Filipino migrant workers.

"Our IT group already has the concept for this project but we are still working on the nitty-gritty details of the project. If things go as planned, we will launch the project within the year," Amy Reyes, POEA Deputy Administrator for Management who oversees the project, told Gulf News.

POEA and many Philippine missions, including the ones in the UAE, have been faulted for the hassle reportedly brought about by applying for OECs.

"Usually an employee will need to take a day off or half day from work just to get it [OEC]. Every year when you go back home, you have to secure this document and go through the same process," Bryan Vergara, a Filipino worker who applied for an OEC recently, said.

"This move by the POEA is a good one because getting this OEC is a burden for OFWs as it is time consuming," he added.

"When I applied for my OEC here in Dubai last April, it took me one whole day…I think the online system is a good idea to avoid the inconvenience of queuing for a long time under the sun at the labour office," Wilson Ariem, Sr, a technical manager, said.

Acting labour attaché Venus Abad said: "The application process takes time because of the volume of applicants that we receive on a daily basis. During the peak months in April and May, we process around 400 OECs per day. For non-peak months, we process around 200 a day."

"We are working on a system wherein all OEC applications and processing will be done online. We also plan to have the OEC co-terminus with the validity of the contract so that the OFW does not need to apply for it every time," Baldoz added.

Details of the project will be announced during Migrant Workers' Day on June 7 alongside other outreach projects of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) for Filipino migrant workers.

"Our IT group already has the concept for this project but we are still working on the nitty-gritty details of the project. If things go as planned, we will launch the project within the year," Amy Reyes, POEA Deputy Administrator for Management who oversees the project, told Gulf News.

POEA and many Philippine missions, including the ones in the UAE, have been faulted for the hassle reportedly brought about by applying for OECs.

"Usually an employee will need to take a day off or half day from work just to get it [OEC]. Every year when you go back home, you have to secure this document and go through the same process," Bryan Vergara, a Filipino worker who applied for an OEC recently, said.

"This move by the POEA is a good one because getting this OEC is a burden for OFWs as it is time consuming," he added.

"When I applied for my OEC here in Dubai last April, it took me one whole day…I think the online system is a good idea to avoid the inconvenience of queuing for a long time under the sun at the labour office," Wilson Ariem, Sr, a technical manager, said.

Acting labour attaché Venus Abad said: "The application process takes time because of the volume of applicants that we receive on a daily basis. During the peak months in April and May, we process around 400 OECs per day. For non-peak months, we process around 200 a day."

Ang buhay OFW nga naman......

Mahirap ang buhay ng isang OFW na mahiwalay sa pamilya sa mahabang panahon para mabigyan ng kunting kaginhawaan ang naiwang pamilya sa Pinas. Sa hirap ba naman ng buhay ngayon kailangan mo pang makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa para matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng pamilya. Madaling sabihin pero ang proseso at pag aayos ng mga papeles ay matagal. Pag minalas pa ay maloloko ka pa ng agency na pinag aplayan mo. Madami sa atin ang magsasangla ng lupa o bahay o di kaya mangungutang sa kamaganak  para sa placement fee.

Pero hindi ibig sabihin na nasa ibang bansa ka na ay puro pasarap na lang ang buhay. May mga kasong mababa ang sahod o iba ang trabaho sa pinirmahang kontrata sa Pinas. Nandyan din ang problema sa accomodation, problema sa mabangis na amo, OTy (thank you na OT) at mahabang oras ng trabaho na walang restday. Hindi maiiwasan ang mga kasong rape, nabuntis at pambubogbog at kung ano ano pa.

Dito sa Dubai, dahil sa nangyaring recession, may mga kababayan tayong delay ang sahod, baon sa utang sa credit card at personal loan at minsan pa ay nakakulong dahil sa talbog na tseke. Marami ang tinamaan ng crisis at napauwi na galing sa mga construction at engineering na mga kompanya.

Isa sa matinding kalaban ng isang OFW ay ang pangungulila sa asawa at pamilya. Dahil sa mahal ang overseas call, sulat at voice tape ang pinagpipiyestahan ng mga naiwang pamilya sa Pinas noon. Mabuti na nga ngayon at may YM web chat, skype, friendster, facebook at kung ano anong pang mga paraan na madaling makausap ang pamilya.

Last week naimbitahan ko si Fr. Serge (unang paring pinoy sa St. Michael Church) para mag bless sa bagong apartment na nilipatan namin sa Sharjah. Nabanggit nya sa akin na ang pangunahing problema daw ng mga Pinoy ngayon ay live-in. Kahit may asawa sa Pinas. Mapa babae man o lalake. Kahit binata o dalaga. Oo. Bawal na bawal yan dito sa UAE. Latigo, kulong, deportation at benteng sidekick ng camel ang parusa. (of course joke lang ito!) Yan ay kung mahuli o ma report sa Pulis. Pag hindi tuloy ang ligaya.

Naranasan mo rin bang madaling araw ay nakita mong may miscol ka galing sa Pinas? Syempre kakabahan ka dahil baka may namatay o naaksidente sa pamilya. Yon pala naman ay pinafollow up lang ang buwanan mong sustento dahil katapusan na at tambak na ang mga bayarin. Hindi mo rin naman masabi na minsan delay ang sahod mo. Kaya mapipilitan kang mag cash advance sa credit card.

Sa pagsapit ng mga mahahalang okasyon tulad ng pasko, binyagan, kasalan, piyesta, family reunion, wedding anniversary, fathers day, mothers day, valentines day wala ka. Hindi mo matitikman ang masasarap na pagkain tulad ng crispy balat ng lechon. Tapos magpapadala ng group picture. Lahat sila nakangiti. Ang saya saya nila. Parang hindi ka nila namimiss. At napansin mo ikaw lang ang kulang. Gustuhin mo mang umuwi kahit saglit hindi pwede dahil hindi pa tapos ang kontrata mo.

Hay! Buhay OFW nga naman. Feeling ko minsan hindi ako umaasenso dahil tamang tama lang ang sahod ko sa panggastos sa pamilya. Para ring hindi  nag abroad.

Sa ngayon kasama ko ang asawa ko at dalawa kong anak sa UAE. Aaminin ko minsan kinakabahan din ako dahil mahina ang pasok ng business sa kompanya namin. Baka dumating ang araw na pauwiin ko rin sila. Pero habang nandito pa sila at kasama ko mageenjoy muna kaming mag bonding buong pamilya. 

Spirit of Manila Airlines- Cheap flight to Philippines

Spirit of Manila is a low-cost airline operating at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport
which also serve as its main base. According to its website, the airline is flying to Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait as its initial middle east route. Just to check how much low the fare from Dubai to Clark, I called the Manila ticketing office but I was informed that they are only servicing Clark-Taipei route at the moment.

Although the Clark-Bahrain inaugural flight was launched in December  18, 2009, the ticketing agent in Bahrain has stopped issuing ticket and accepting reservation.  


In March 31, 2010 RP and Bahrain signed a deal allowing more flights between the two countries. It was not clear though if this will pave way for the resumption of Clark-Bahrain flights.

It the flight will resume, this will be an alternative to congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
OFW from Northern and Central Luzon would have a convenient time travelling home avoiding hustle and traffic in Metro Manila.