OFW Pass will not be linked to any govt fees, says DMW
The soon-to-be launched OFW (overseas Filipino workers) Pass which replaces the overseas employment certificate is free and is not linked to any government agency that collects fees from members, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.
The clarification was made by DMW Secretary Susan Ople during a consultation meeting with Filipino community leaders in Asia on Saturday.
She was responding to a question from Shiela Bonifacio, chairperson of Gabriela Hong Kong who reacted when one Filcom leader asked if it was possible to link some government fees like SSS contributions to the OFW Pass.
This was after Undersecretary for Policy Patricia Yvonne Caunan said the second phase of the launching of the OFW Pass will see it being linked to other government departments so the workers will have an easier time transacting with them.
But Secretary Ople explained the linking will be done only within the DMW mobile application or app, which will be used as the registration portal for all OFWs, and through which the OFW Pass can be obtained
The OFW Pass will come with a QR code that will be generated once the worker’s identification and current work visa have been verified, and this will not require any payment of fees.
Apart from it being free and reusable, Ople said the OFW Pass also has lifetime validity, for as long as the worker has a verified contract on file.
Thus, OFWs who transfer to new employers or whose contracts have lapsed should personally go to the Migrant Workers Office to get a new contract verified to ensure their OFW Pass remains valid.
The long-term plan, according to her, is to automate even the contract verification so the OFWs would have a seamless experience keeping their OFW Pass valid. But until this is done, manual verification of contracts will continue.
Ople said the DMW is also looking into retaining former OFWs’ records on file so they could be granted some benefits even if they have already returned home for good.
Officials said they had obtained initial approval from Apple Store and Google Play to include the DMW app to their list, and expect it to be released within the week.
However, OECs will still be issued as of now but will remain valid only until the end of August.
Meantime, the DMW has been consulting OFWs all over the world on whether they think the OFW Pass is better than the OEC, which features they want included in the app, and their preferred method of communicating with the DMW.
For the last question, most of the OFWs who responded said they preferred to communicate through messenger.
The DMW also stepped up its campaign to get as many Filipinos overseas to volunteer as “teachers” to those who might have difficulty transitioning to the new system of registering as an OFW and obtaining the OFW Pass.
Undersecretary for Welfare and Foreign Employment Hans Cacdac advised the volunteer teachers to adopt a more positive outlook by not harking back on the idea that many OFWs are resistant to embracing technology.
He cited a recent study that showed 76.7% of Filipinos have been using mobile apps especially those pertaining to their finances, so it is unlikely that there will be a strong resistance to securing the OFW Pass.
Source: The SUN HK : OFW Pass will not be linked to any govt fees, says DMW (sunwebhk.com)