Exit clearance for OFWs now issued online

By: Tina G. Santos - 10 years ago

SCREENGRAB from bmonline.poea.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) advised returning or vacationing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to use its online system to get an exit clearance instead of lining up at the POEA and its processing centers.

According to POEA chief Hans Leo Cacdac, the online system dubbed as Balik-Manggagawa Online Processing (BM Online), which was launched Thursday, aims to get rid of long queues and speed up the processing of exit clearance for OFWs.

“With the new system, a returning OFW can now apply online for the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or exit clearance and have the approved OEC printed anywhere, anytime,” he said.

“The updated information of the OFWs who have successfully secured their OEC using the system will be automatically shared with the Bureau of Immigration. This facilitates the validation by the immigration officers at the airport of the OEC being presented by the bearer,” Cacdac added.

The BM Online is available only for workers on vacation, those rehired or returning to the same employer and with existing record in the POEA database.

A returning worker who does not meet the criteria will be redirected to the BM appointment page for regular processing of OEC on a chosen date and time, and at a processing site preferred by the worker.

Workers using the system will have to pay P100 as processing fee and P19.50 as e-payment service fee.

The system is now available at bmonline.poea.gov.ph and can likewise be accessed through the POEA website.