President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday attended the ceremonial pilot testing of the Department of Migrant Workers’ OFW Pass in ceremonies at Malacañang.
In his remarks, the President commended the DMW for staying true to its directives of digitalizing its services to provide better and reliable services to the overseas Filipino workers, particularly in making their lives easier through the introduction of the DMW Mobile App.
“This momentous occasion marks a significant chapter in our commitment to serve our OFWs. It is indeed consistent with our thrusts towards government digitalization so that our government can achieve greater efficiency, greater collaboration, enhance accessibility for all. This innovative act will revolutionize the way our OFWs access certain services such as their verification of their contract and applying for their OFW Pass. Gone are the days when OFWs had to endure long queues to obtain this certification,” the President said.
The event was attended by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan Uy, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, and key officials of the DMW, DICT, and Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Ople said during the transition period, the DMW would still be issuing the traditional OECs for OFWs who have not yet downloaded the DMW Mobile App and created their OFW Pass.
“With every new mobile app, there are bound to be glitches, hence the need to pilot-test before a full roll-out. Considering that the OEC has been in use since 1992, we also don’t want to cause panic among non-techie OFWs. The DMW will continue to issue and recognize the OEC for at least two more months while we continue to promote the OFW Pass,” Ople said.
The DMW has identified 10 countries as pilot testing sites for the OFW Pass. These are the:
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Qatar
- Hongkong
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Oman
- Japan
- Taiwan
- and the United Kingdom (UK)
According to the Secretary, the digital OFW Pass will eventually take the place of the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), a printed certificate presented by an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) as proof of employment abroad.
The OFW Pass, a feature of the DMW Mobile App, is available free of charge on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The application process for the OFW Pass is fully digital and can be done online using a mobile phone.
The DMW Mobile App was created entirely in-house by the DMW’s Management Information and Technology Services (MITS) unit.
The Secretary had earlier said the OFW Pass was in response to complaints made by most OFWs that securing an OEC has become a burden. Aside from the long lines encountered when applying for an OEC, OFWs need to pay P100 for a paper document that is prone to wear and tear.
“The OFW Pass is pegged on the DMW-approved employment contract unlike the OEC which an OFW needs to apply for each time he or she leaves or re-enters the country,” Ople said.
The worker needs only to update the OFW Pass if he or she transfers employers or moves to another country, she added.
The DMW is tapping some 500 OFW Pass Volunteer Teachers in 40 countries who will provide technical assistance for fellow workers who are not tech-savvy. The volunteers have undergone several training and familiarization sessions.
YouTube video tutorials have also been prepared by the Department, she said.
Ople said during the transition period, the DMW would still be issuing the traditional OECs for OFWs who have not yet downloaded the DMW App and the OFW Pass.
