Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would soon have faster repatriation processing time under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s (POEA) new e-mail-based notification system for recruiters.
POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said they will soon be sending their notice to repatriate (NTR) through e-mails.
“This will allow them [recruiters] to comply with POEA process cycle time of 10 days for repatriation,” Olalia told the BusinessMirror in an SMS.
Under their new system, the POEA chief said, NTR will no longer be sent by conventional mail, but would be coursed through instead via e-mail.
“…. This would ensure that 48-hour/15-day period in processing the documents for the repatriation of distressed overseas Filipino workers will be promptly done,” POEA said in its Advisory 34, Series of 2019.
In preparation for the implementation of the new notification system, POEA required all licensed recruitment agencies to submit to its Repatriation Unit an official e-mail address, or update an existing one, not later than November 8, 2019.
“If the notice is sent by physical mail, it will take a long time [before it is received by recruiters] that is why we are getting their e-mail addresses to speed up sending of notifications for repatriation,” Olalia said.
POEA implemented the reform after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 assessed it was noncompliant with the Standard Processing Cycle Time of 10 working days.
“The delay rooted from the late receipt of the said Notice by the Licensed Recruitment Agencies’ authorized representative(s),” POEA said.
Last year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said government was able to provide aid and repatriation for 858,667 OFWs. As of Sept. this year, it said it registered 562,628 OFWs, who were given the same assistance.