POEA to issue restrictive measures discouraging visit visa jobseekers

Philippine Overseas Employment Administrator Bernard Olalia said a board resolution is being finalized that would discourage Filipinos from resorting to visit visas in going to the UAE to look for jobs.

“Meron tayong ipapalabas na bago, a governing board resolution tungkol dyan. Iam not at liberty to discuss it. In the near future malalaman ninyo. It’s a restrictive measure,” Philippine Overseas Administrator Bernard Olalia told The Filipino Times following a town hall meeting at the Philippine Consulate in the evening of Feb.11.

At the event’s open forum Olalia lamented that, more often than not, those who enter the UAE on visit visas end up taking low-paying jobs in light of their limited stay.

“Hindi po natin papayagan hangga’t maari na pupunta kayo dito (UAE) hawak nyo visit visa pagkatapos ay maghahana po kayo ng trabaho. Tapos po ano po mangyayari? Dahil hindi po namin nakita ang employment contract, di po minsan nasusunod yng mga minimum labor standards natin,” he said.

He said taking salaries below industry standards affect others such that they are terminated in favor of the visit visa holder.

“Magiging cheap laor na lang. Aantayin nilang mag-expire yung employment period ng mga nagtatrabaho dito na maganda yung kanilang employment contract at kukunin nila kayo dahil mababa yung in-accept ninyong sahod

“Tignan po natin yung pang malayung layunin na proteskyunan kayo. Wag po natin tignan yung short term na dahil walang trabajo and therefore grab ng opportunity. Tignan po natin ang kapakanan po ng nakakarami. ‘Wag po nating intidihin yung ating sariling kapakanan lamang,” Olalia said.