OVERSEAS Filipinos workers in the United Arab Emirates have been reminded that they can renew their Overseas Employees Certificate (OEC) and their membership with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in the Philippines, and not necessarily in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
This reminder came up as thousands of OFWs have been flocking to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Some even resort to camping overnight outside the POLO grounds or queue as early as 4am so they can get the chance for their documents to be processed.
Labor Attache John Rio Bautista said the influx of OFWs applying for OECs and contract verification stemmed from the desire of Filipinos to come home as the Philippines relaxed its Covid-19 health protocol for arriving overseas Filipinos.
However, before the OFWs can return to the UAE, they need to renew their OEC and one of the requirements for OEC renewal is for the POLO to verify if their employment contracts are still valid.
“Ako po ay humihingi ng inyong pang-unawa sapagkat napakarami pong kliyente ang dumarating ngayon. Eto po ay hindi namin inaasahan sapagkat nitong mga nakaraang araw, mga 300-400 ang aming sineserve. Pero ngayon po ay mga 700-800 ang dumarating sa kadahilanang gusto nilang magbakasyon,” Bautista said in an interview with ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel. [We ask for your understanding because many clients are coming these days. We did not expect that, because we usually serve 300-400 people. But now 700-800 are coming because they want to go on vacation].
“Isa rin pong kadahilanan [ng pagdagsa mga OFWs sa POLO] ay lumawag na rin po ang pag-uwi sa Pilipinas. Wala nang quarantine. Nagmura na rin ang ticket. Unlike nung December…At mahaba po ang bakasyon dito sa Dubai dahil nagkaroon ng Ramadan at Eid. Ito po ay sinamantala ng mga kababayan natin para makauwi sila,” he added. [One reason for the flocking is that rules for coming into the Philippines have been eased. Quarantine is no longer required. Tickets are now cheaper, unlike in December. And vacation here in Dubai is long because we had the Ramadan and the Eid].
Bautista said to address the long queue, they have started to implement an appointment system.
Starting May 4, POLO Dubai is no longer entertaining walk-ins for OEC, contract verification, renewal of membership for OWWA or Social Security System (SSS), or payment of Pag-ibig Fund premiums. Instead, OFWs should log in to their web site https://www.polodubaiportal.org/ before they can be accommodated inside the POLO.
Around 500 slots have been opened every day starting May 4.
POLO-Dubai said most of the OFWs applying for contract verification lately were those who entered Dubai using visit visa only, or those who transited from a third country, and were hired while already in Dubai. Verification of contracts of these OFWs who converted their visit visa to work visa is needed to better protect them from potential abuses from employers.
Those who entered Dubai or Abu Dhabi with work visas and POEA-approved contract can simply renew their OEC online through POEA Online Processing System for Balik-Manggagawa or POPS-BaM (https://www.bmonline.ph/).