It’s final. The Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) will be replaced with a more expansive ID system that will serve a range of benefits – from airport Immigration clearance to social security, even as metro beep card – all meant to take the much-clichéd reference to overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) as “modern day heroes” to a new, more meaningful level.
Indeed, OFWs across the UAE hailed an announcement made by Labor and Employment
Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III about the July 12, 2017 launch of the OFW identification
card, called ID of the Department of Labor and Employment or iDOLE.
Here are the top reasons why:
1) Less corruption at POEA. Validation of official documents has always been a
source of corruption at POEA. The Filipino Times published a report in May this
year quoting Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay as saying that concerns about corruption at
POEA has prompted the Labor Secretary to indefinitely suspend OEC processing.
“There were allegedly certain people in the government na para ma-facilitate yung
process nang mabilisan, ay nagpapabayad,” Bay said. “The secretary wants to take a
look at these things kasi marami nang report na nakakarating sa kanya na yung mga
direct hired workers ay iniisyuhan ng OEC pero may hinihinging kapalit,” she said.
Bello’s suspension order took effect on April 25.
2) No need to pay Dh10, or its peso equivalent. OFWs are required to secure an OEC
whenever going back to their country of employment after a vacation in the
Philippines. This, to exempt them from airport tax and allow them to board their
plane.
3) No more irritating day-long queues.
OFWS have long been complaining about spending at least a day of their precious
vacation time queuing in for their OEC at the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) or satellite offices. It’s a widely known fact that most OFWs
get up at dawn to get ahead of the line giving into consideration the traffic nightmare
they have to go through getting to the POEA.
4) No more feeling cheated by the government.
OFWs feel that with OEC gone, trust can be rebuilt.
5) More quality time with loved ones.
With an additional day in their itinerary, OFWs can enjoy more bonding with their
family.
6) Less stress.
Not a few OFWs have always grimaced at the thought of having to work on their
OEC.
7) More time for business.
iDOLE is a welcome news for OFWs starting up businesses in the Philippines or are
actually on business trips as this would mean more meetings done.
8) More tourism-related revenues.
The OEC has been among reasons adding up to why OFWs would prefer to spend
their annual leaves elsewhere but the Philippines. It goes without saying that with
OEC scrapped, more OFWs would reconsider travel plans which in turn, would
translate to more revenues for the Philippine travel and tourism industry.
9) Peace of mind.
But really… what’s OEC’s reason for being? The government has been saying it’s
supposed to validate that you are a documented OFW. Couldn’t they just check their
records?
10) More confidence in the government. OFWs have long been lobbying for the
scrapping of the OEC because, they say, it’s but a piece of required official document
with unclear purpose, too cumbersome to obtain and breeds the “lagay (bribery)
system.”
Tamper-free iDOLE card… how does it work?
All the information will be sent to iCloud and this will be downloaded and we can
print the iDOLEcard.
Imagine you have a big backpack and everything’s in there – from dental kit to boxer shorts
(or panties) – virtually your mobile home that gives you everything you need for your daily
grind.
That backpack is your iDOLE card. It can be used to process transactions with the Social
Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. The labor
department said iDOLE will also enable OFWs to access their government records
electronically without the need to go to concerned government offices. The ID card can also
serve as a debit card and an ATM card for the OFW Bank as well as a beep card for LRT and
MRT.
Interestingly as well, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the labor department is trying
to adopt a system which will allow iDOLE to serve as the electronic passport for OFWs,
which they can use anytime, whether going abroad or back to the Philippines.
“We are trying to adopt a system that this iDOLE can serve as OFW passport. Kakausapin
natin nang maigi ang Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice, through
the Bureau of Immigration. Para yang iDOLE na yan ay pwede na ring gamitin bilang
passport,” Bello said.
But how does it work?
Explained Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad III, who was recently in Dubai: “The
information really comes from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
Once the OFWs complete their employment documents, all the information will be sent to
iCloud and this will be downloaded and we can print the iDOLEcard.”
He added that the card makes use of an app. “You can open the app and then scan your ID
and then it will enter your file and then the POEA will show all your information complete
with your ID photo. It is one way of ensuring that the one holding the card is the owner of the
card. It can’t be tampered.”
