POEA opens one-stop shop for overseas workers

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos hoping to work overseas can now secure all their required documents from a one-stop shop.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the government is setting up one-stop shops around the country where all government front-line services would be made available to overseas Filipino workers or those aspiring to be OFWs.

The first one-stop shop, located on the ground floor of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) building in Mandaluyong City, was launched yesterday.

Similar front-line service centers will be set up in all regional offices of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and POEA.

“With the approval of the POEA or DOLE regional offices, we may also extend services during weekends and holidays,” Bello said.

OFWs and overseas job applicants can secure passports, competency assessments, certificates of no marriage and other documents required abroad.        

The one-stop shop will cut processing time of the applicants’ documents.

POEA chief Hans Cacdac said the center could reduce travel time and expenses for applicants, who no longer need to go from one agency to another to get their requirements.

“The processing cycle varies, but Secretary Bello ordered that documents should be released within 72 hours after filing of the application,” Cacdac said.

“We made sure that all major services needed by the OFWs are available in the center,” he added.