The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday declared that the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) will be provided free of charge to all returning overseas Filipino workers.
This decision was formalized through Memorandum No. 11 dated July 25, with the new policy taking effect on July 29, 2023.
Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, the officer-in-charge of the DMW, confirmed the exemption of fees for all types of OECs issued to rehires or Balik-Manggagawa (BM) starting from 12:01 am (Philippine Time) on July 29, 2023.
“The issuance of all forms of overseas employment certificate (OEC) for rehires or Balik-Manggagawa (BM) shall be free of charge effective 29 July 2023, 12:01 am (Philippine Time),” said the DMW official.
The OEC, which has been mandatory for departing overseas Filipino workers, served as an exit clearance with a processing fee of P100 valid for 60 days.
Additionally, it allowed workers to be exempt from paying travel tax and airport terminal fees.
Now that the OEC is provided free of charge, the issuance of official receipts for the certificates is no longer required.
However, the DMW still emphasizes the need for a monthly accountability report concerning manual OECs, which must be submitted to the agency's finance service.
Furthermore, any unused official receipt forms for OEC collection should be returned to the administrative office and accounted for appropriately.
