JEDDAH, 27 March 2008 — Vacationing Filipino workers no longer have to go through the hassle of passing through labor assistance center (LAC) at Philippine international airports when they return to their places of work.
This bit of good news comes from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, which said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has dropped the requirement “to further streamline processes in the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).”
Workers leaving for foreign destinations shall henceforth present copies of the POEA exit clearance directly to the airlines counter, terminal fee counters and the Bureau of Immigration counters, said the embassy in a press statement.
The change in procedure took effect on March 24.
An advisory issued by POEA Administrator Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz on March 19 said the LAC will remain open round-the-clock but its services will be limited to assisting OFWs with documentation problems, issuing overseas employment certificates (OEC) to workers leaving the country within 24 hours, and dissemination of information and education materials to OFWs and families.
