Rappler's latest stories on Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Nurses with overseas contracts appeal to gov’t to amend deployment ban anew
Despite earlier guidelines allowing health workers with existing contracts to leave the country, nurses say they are still unable to return to their jobs over the lack of overseas employment certificates signed as of March 8

Health workers with contracts as of March 8 can leave PH
The government's coronavirus task force says the Department of Health will also facilitate the emergency hiring of health workers to assist in caring for the increasing number of coronavirus patients

PH to lift deployment ban on health workers with existing contracts
The President still needs to approve the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases' resolution allowing nurses and other health workers with existing contracts to leave

‘Forced servitude’? PH prevents health workers from leaving
POEA says the deployment suspension of medical workers is of 'paramount national interest,' but nurses say it promotes 'involuntary servitude'

Philippines orders total deployment ban to Kuwait
The total deployment ban covers all newly hired workers – domestic workers, skilled workers, and professionals

DOLE warns public against fake employment ads on Facebook
Filipinos seeking work abroad should verify the validity of jobs with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, says POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia

POEA accepting applications for nurses in Germany
The central and regional offices of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration will be accepting applications until February 28

Ban Kuwait celebrity from hiring Filipinos, says OFW group
Kuwait social media celebrity Sondos Al Qattan draws flak for slamming the Kuwaiti government's policy to give rest days to Filipino domestic workers

Filipino household workers can fly to Kuwait next week – Bello
'Skilled workers can fly to Kuwait anytime but the household service workers can fly next week, pending their visa application approval,' says Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III

Demafelis' alleged recruiter may still face charges – POEA
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration says Agnes Tuballes could be held liable for referring slain worker Joanna Demafelis to the recruitment agency

'A national shame': The death and homecoming of Joanna Demafelis
In May 2014, Joanna Demafelis left for Kuwait to help secure a better future for her family. She comes home in a box nearly 4 years later.

After OFW deaths, DOLE creates command center for abuse cases
Reporting mechanisms will be strengthened after Filipino labor officials in Kuwait failed to take action when domestic helper Joanna Demafelis was first reported missing

Kuwait only 'partially compliant' but rules allowed deployment – POEA
Senators question why the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait persisted even though the Gulf country was rated as only 'partially' labor-compliant. Labor officials say the rules allow this.

What's contingency plan if PH stops deploying OFWs to Kuwait? – Villanueva
But International watchdog Human Rights Watch says that instead of a ban, the Philippines should demand 'stronger protections' for overseas Filipino workers

DOLE urged to probe foreign-backed recruitment firms using 'illegal agents'
Recruitment firms owned by Filipino dummies are reportedly recruiting aspiring domestic workers in Mindanao

First phase of OFW ID implementation starts
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III says the OFW ID will still be given for free
POEA resumes OEC processing for Filipino workers
Overseas employment certificates will now be processed after a 15-day suspension that had been prompted by reports of irregularities

OFWs with visas issued before Nov 12 exempted from OEC moratorium
The Department of Labor and Employment will grant the OEC applications of OFWs who have visas issued before November 12
POEA to fire guards, janitors in internal cleansing
Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary Dominador Say says that guards and janitors have been used in irregular activities in the processing of overseas employment certificates

DOLE suspends issuance of OECs for Filipino workers
(UPDATED) Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III says the suspension from November 13 to December 1 is due to reports of illegal recruitment and corruption in the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Things to know about illegal recruitment in the Philippines
Here's how OFWs can spot and avoid illegal recruitment activity

How much does it cost to work abroad?
Here's what OFWs and their employers need to pay

What you need to know about your overseas employment contract
The overseas employment contract is a form of offsite protection for OFWs

Rappler Talk: Emerging opportunities for OFWs under Duterte administration
Labor Undersecretary Bernard Olalia talks about new opportunities and other emerging markets for OFWs

Are zero placement fees for OFWs scam or solution?
Many migrant workers go into huge debt to pay placement fees just so they can work abroad. But some labor rights groups and companies say workers should not have to pay for a job.

100,000 jobs for Filipinos to be available in Japan – DOLE
Among the possible jobs to be opened in Japan are for nurses engineers and architects
#OFWRights: Align OFWs' repatriation with PH economic plans – experts
In the 2016 elections Duterte received overwhelming support from OFWs – majority of whom voted for him on his promise to make working abroad an option instead of a necessity

Philippines lifts moratorium on OFW deployment to Qatar
Philippine labor attaché David Dicang says the situation in Qatar has normalized

PH to be test country for ILO's fair recruitment project
The United Nations labor agency selects the Philippines as a pilot country for its program on establishing a model against illegal recruitment

Pre-employment seminar now mandatory for OFWs
The Pre Employment Orientation Seminar PEOS is the government s online tool against illegal recruitment and for OFW safety in their host countries

Aquino and the continuing plight of OFWs
President Benigno Aquino III promised OFWs that at the end of his administration working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity Did he deliver?

DFA Robinsons soon exclusive for OFWs
The DFA is also offering a courtesy lane exclusively for migrant workers as a way of giving importance to OFWs

OFW remittances hit $2.7 billion in March 2016
Meanwhile remittances for the first quarter of the year reach 7 2 billion – higher than the same period last year

OFW remittances grow, hit $2.3B in February
Remittance flow is higher by 6 1 so far in 2016 says the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

POEA slaps P3.6-M fine on recruitment agency
Al Masiya Overseas Placement Agency Incorporated will pay the hefty fine for failing to heed the repatriation requests of 8 OFWs it had deployed to parts of the Middle East the POEA says

OFW remittances in December hit record high at $2.7B
Although potential layoffs threaten the Saudi labor market OFW remittances last December surge by 4 9

Santiago urges creation of body to monitor documented OFWs
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago makes the call following reports that overseas Filipino worker Thelma Gawidan was starved and forced to work without pay in Singapore
Remittances flat in October
Cash remittances sent by Overseas Filipinos are slightly up to 3 7 in the first 10 months of 2015 BSP says
POEA reiterates only OFWs with multinationals can return to these 9 countries
UPDATED POEA reminds Filipinos employed by multinational companies or companies with international operations in Afghanistan Chad Cuba Haiti Mali Mauritania Niger Somalia and Zimbabwe that they can come home for the holidays and go back to their jobs after

POEA chief to presidential bets: Help OFWs innovate
POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac says the next president should have a strong stance in pushing the OFW agenda

Gov't eases requirements for exit passes of OFWs in Italy
Good news for 180 000 OFWs in Italy the DOLE is easing requirements for those wishing to return to Manila over the holidays

What you need to know about overseas Filipino workers
December is the Month of Overseas Filipinos Do you know enough about our country s bagong bayani ?

BSP confident remittances to grow 5% despite August setback
I believe remittances will continue to be stable at around 5 for 2015 BSP deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo says

The OEC is here to stay, OFWs in HK told
POEA chief Hans Leo Cacdac says plans are underway to fully implement the online application system for Overseas Employment Certificates in Hong Kong

DOLE-led dialogue offers solutions to recruiters’ woes
A group seeking the ouster of POEA chief Hans Leo Cacdac has shelved its planned July 20 protest action given the policy proposals agreed upon

Dialogue urged over labor migration row
Saying dialogues have failed them in the past lawyer Steven Yanson says the anti Cacdac group would be willing to talk to any government official in positions higher than Labor Secretary Baldoz

Recruiters divided over labor migration reforms
A newly formed group of recruiters alleges abuse of power by the POEA chief while established stakeholder groups regard them as disgruntled agencies unable to conform to POEA rules

DFA: 3 challenges in protecting female domestic workers
The Department of Foreign Affairs DFA says the presence of [Filipino] domestic workers in household all over the world could be considered a liberating force

Mega-recruiters in Gulf states answer to Kafala?
The mega recruiter can act as the employer of domestic workers instead of the households that employ them and as visa sponsors often oppress them

PAO wasting resources on Mary Jane's recruiters?
Lawyer Edre Olalia on Friday May 8 questions how the alleged traffickers of Filipino on death row Mary Jane Veloso can be considered indigents qualified for PAO representation
