OFWs can still get travel clearance in 1 day - POEA

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) yesterday clarified that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning to jobs abroad can still secure exit permits within a day.

POEA chief Carlos Cao Jr. said despite the revised procedures for the issuance of travel clearance for Balik Manggagawa (BM), the previous one-day processing of documents is still in place.

“The new two-phase procedure merely provides options to returning workers to manage their time better instead of waiting for hours for the release of their documents,” he pointed out.

Cao said the procedure was meant to address the big volume of BM applicants queuing at the BM Processing Center, which sees an average of 1,500 OFWs daily on regular days.

Cao urged OFWs to secure their exit clearances from the POEA office nearest their location ahead of their departure date. He said they may also choose to have their clearance delivered by courier.

A group of OFWs earlier protested the new procedure, which will take effect on July 1, claiming it would only be an additional burden for returning workers who were supposed to be enjoying their vacation.         –