Departing Filipino 'tourists' to sign immigration waivers?

Since the Bureau of Immigration (BI) cannot stop all illegal overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from leaving the country, it has thought of doing the next best thing: ask travelers to sign a waiver releasing the bureau from any blame for whatever misfortune they would meet by working abroad using tourist visas.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said starting today, the bureau would be issuing waivers to selected travelers, particularly those suspected to be illegal OFWs who are posing as tourists to be able to get out of the country.

This was announced during the agency’s 68th anniversary.

Libanan said they would be distributing waivers to travelers at the departure area of airports. In the waiver or affidavit, written in Tagalog, the passenger would state his or her name, passport number, country of destination, airline and flight number, and the length of stay in the country of destination.

The passenger would also indicate that despite the lengthy explanation on the dangers that he may encounter in the country of destination, he still decided to push through with the trip. He would also be asked to absolve the bureau or its officer, who signed the passport, from any responsibility.

Libanan said there were many instances in the past when OFWs, at times involved in human-smuggling, would pretend to be tourists to be able to leave the country without hassles. There were also numerous reports of OFWs victimized by prostitution and slavery.

“These waivers would only be issued ‘in case of doubt.’ Some of the factors that we will consider are: the appearance of a person (if he or she looks like a tourist or an OFW), the absence of a hotel booking, show money, or Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) clearance, and whether he or she is accompanied by a foreigner who might be his or her employer,” said Libanan.