Philippine Embassy to Impose OEC Online Appointment
Abu Dhabi:Starting June 1, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi will no longer accept walk-in applicants for Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) as the Balik-Manggagawa (BM) Appointment Online program will be fully implemented.
Philippine Labor AttacheOphelia Almenario said the embassy started implementing the OEC online appointment since last March.
“Applicants can go to https://www.bmonline.ph/, choose a date and time of their application, fill-up the form, print it and bring the printed OEC application form at the Philippine Embassy on the schedule they have chosen,” Almenario, a lawyer, told The Filipino Times.
She said the move was adopted due to the high volume of applicants. About 300 Filipinos apply for OEC every day at the embassy.
“It will be an easy and swift procedure for everybody. Our kababayans will no longer endure long cues especially now that summer has started,” she said.
She said the problem is a lot of Filipinos apply for OEC just a day before leaving the UAE.
“Angproblemakasiminsan `yungkaramihanbukasang flight, ngayonkukuhang OEC which is hindidapatganun. Kaya nga 60 days ang validity ng OEC para may grace period before your flight. Walang excuses kasi you have your flight ticket na so no need to apply OECs on a tight schedule,” she said.
However, Almenario said her office will still try to accommodate walk-in applicants who are facing emergency situations as well as household works who may not have access to internet.
Applicants should bring with them printed and filled-up online OEC form, copy of their flight ticket, original passport with six months validity, copy of employment contract or labor card and residence visa
Fortunately for many Filipinos in the UAE, through hard work and determination, they have transitioned themselves to more key roles in various employment sectors,” he said.
Covar-Buensuceso said that although her agency hada limited promotional budget overseas, Filipinos themselves and their international friends made up for it, which was evident when the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign was launched.
“We may have limited budget, but we have ways of doing things. The “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaignwas positioned and focused on the social media. In the beginning, we only had three memes on whyit’s more fun in the Philippines; now we have 80,000. OFWs are contributing a lot of content with pictures,” she said.
“So natutuwa kami. Even if our budget is not that big, we still generate a lot of impact overseas,” she added.
The Philippines welcomed about 4.8 million tourists in 2014 with Koreans, Americans, Japanese and Chinese accounting for the majority.This year, the country is aiming to attract more than 6 million tourists.
“Filipinos are really well received anywhere. In the UAE, most of them hold frontline positions. Can you imagine if everybody talks about how beautiful the Philippines is… that will really help. We have millions of overseas Filipinos around the world,” said Covar-Buensuceso.
“We’ve also seen OFWs who are investing in resorts and restaurants (back home). They may also have foreign investors behind them. They are now investing in the Philippines, which is a good sign for all of us,” she added.