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| The OFW Pass prototype, along with some key features |
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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