FIRST TIME OFWs : HOW TO GET AN OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATE (OEC)? | POEA REQUIREMENTS FOR NAME (DIRECT) HIRES

There's a sigh of relief in the air whilst I type this because... I finally got my OEC! I decided to write a post about my personal experience along with tips and tricks to give you an idea how it is to apply for an OEC as a first time Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). The blue paper on top - yes people - that's the finished product! That's what you want to get at the end of this challenging process!

I've been to and fro the UK since last year however, my visa type is business so I wasn't required to obtain an OEC. It's hassle free but the longest that you can stay abroad is 6 months, which as you can tell, is counterproductive (as you need to apply a visa again etc.). This time around, I applied for a Tier 2 - General Migrant visa and by the grace of God - has been successful :)

Now, on to the plot. When you are under a working visa (naming convention depends on the country you are working for) - you are technically an OFW. This means you need to apply for an OEC unless you want a drama on the airport because the immigration officer won't allow you to go unless you are cleared.

Here are the documents I prepared (make sure you have the original and 2 extra photocopies):

• Passport
• Work visa
• Medical certificate
• Employment contract

Notes:

• Note that I applied under Skilled/Professional worker, Name (Direct) hire category.
• You are to process your OEC after you get your approved working visa.
• In my case, I completed my medical exam first before going to POEA (to save time and hassle).
• Required documents are country-specific,  for full details, you can visit POEA site HERE.

Phase 1:

Me and mum headed on the POEA main office on a Friday. We were there at around 6:50 am. I am following a UK shift work hour even if I'm in Manila so you can imagine how groggy I was that time. We've asked our trusty driver (thanks Kuya!) to drive for us so the travel from south to Ortigas was bearable.

The security guard asked for my contract and ID (I gave him my CPA license). He then asked if I am under any agency and I told him I am under Name Hire category. He filled out a stub and signed it. I am #2! He then asked us to wait until 8 am.

At 8:05 am, they are allowing people to go in. I've been told that Name Hire Division is on the 2nd floor. Another guard inspected my documents and asked me to go in. I remember it's Window #5. So the POEA representative asked for my documents and we've had some few dialogues.

Rep: First time niyo pong aalis?

CMK: Hindi po. Actually pang 4th time ko na po to go to London. (Tip: Always be honest!)

Rep: So bakit ngayon lang kayo mag-aapply ng OEC?

CMK: I am not under a work visa on my last 3 trips. Those were just short trips (under 6 months) so di na kailangan ng OEC. You can revisit my passport if you wish. (By this time, nakapag english na talaga ang lola niyo dahil wala pa kong tulog and parang uma-aura si badet).

He then went back to check my papers and handed me some documents:

Rep: Ma'am ibabalik ko ang contract niyo. Paki edit dahil kulang ng repatriation, leaves and causes for dismissal. Ipa-authorize niyo yan then babalik kayo dito. Dapat DHL pero okay na rin ang PDF.

CMK: Okay, wait lang ha. Help me understand, Kuya. What do you want to see in my contract?

Rep: Eto po (whilst pointing on the 3 boxes on his sheet: repatriation, leaves and causes for dismissal).

CMK: Kuya, all of those are in my contract. You can revisit clauses 5, 7 and 12. I can't afford to go back and edit the whole thing kasi andiyan naman lahat ng requested stipulations in the first place. If there are differences... those are just naming conventions. ** Note that I am telling this to him firmly but my tone is still nice naman. (With this, one of his colleagues told him that this is good to go since he saw my point, luckily the rep agreed). 

After this, he handed me a document with stamp (like a tracking sheet). He also gave me my PDOS schedule which is on the following Monday at 9:00 am. I said thank you and off I went. I was instructed to go to OWWA and there, they told me to bring a copy of my passport and PDOS schedule on Monday. I finished the whole Phase 1 from 8:10 am to 8:45 am-ish.

Phase 2:

So Monday at around 8:45 am, I went upstairs and there's a couple of people in the room. Somebody from COMELEC (Commission on Elections) gave a small talk and handed a form about absentee voting. I filled out the form and after which, she asked me to go out for a while for the biometrics. Good thing that somebody gave her PDOS schedule and passport copy to the guard because I forgot to! I gave mine to Manong Guard and returned to the room.

I'd say that PDOS is a good seminar. I was a bit hesitant due to my experience in Phase 1 but that changed because the speaker is knowledgeable, accommodating and most of all, humble. I can sense his sincerity to help. He's been patient with everyone specially with this one guy who's so pa-bibo (alam mo yung hirit ng hirit? He's the typical reason bakit di matapos-tapos! - sorry, nacarried away lang). Seriously, I've learned so much from the seminar. I forgot the name of the facilitator but well done sir! :) 

I also made friends with Khristine (hello girl!). We're exchanging stories about our Phase 1 experiences. Hers was worse. They asked her to undergo a POLO (seminar generally for drivers, DH's, etc.) but she's not a house help. She's working for a well-known law firm. Note: This is with all due respect with our house help kababayans, however, there should be a way of distinguishing which is which since, obviously, this can be offensive.

There are some few small talks about SSS, Pag-ibig and PhilHealth. There's even a portion allotted for Landbank savings thingy which I don't have anything against. Except the bank officer said that stock market was not a good way to invest and it's like gambling! I was like, whoah! You know my advocacy and how I feel about empowering people on investment and somebody from the bank sector is discouraging soon-to-be OFW's to stay away from stock market without explaining things?! :( #Sad!

Anyways, going back. After the seminar we were handed our PDOS certificate. Remember to photocopy it in 3 or 4 to be sure. Tip: Make sure that you give your PDOS schedule and passport copy to Manong Guard, or else, you'll have that hassle of waiting for them to print your certificate or worse, they might ask you to attend another PDOS!

We then went back to another window for actual Phase 2. In here, your documents will once again be reviewed and you'll be asked to come back after 30-minutes since they need to encode your details. It's about lunch time when we did this so we took advantage of the waiting time to accomplish other things.

We went to ground floor, in the Balik Manggagawa (BM) center. It's a one-stop shop for everything contribution related. Here are what we've accomplished:

• PAG-IBIG. I paid Php 500 for MP2 (it's like a mutual fund with fixed 4.5% return. I know, 'fix' is a big word but remember that it's the PH government that's backing this up so it's safe, that's my take). I can top-up as I wish. I also asked for a complete list of my transactions (contributions). They are kind enough to print them for me. They also updated my status, etc.
• SSS. You have to fill out a form and give it to a specific window. When my name's been called the lovely lady gave me some documents and she also updated my details on their database.

It's 1:30 pm when I went back to 2nd floor. I was asked to go straight to the window and the lady returned my original documents and referred me to another window where I paid Php 5,656. After payment, they stamped some of my documents and they finally gave me the much awaited OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATE! Yehey! It's about 2:15 pm when I finished Phase 2.

Some more tips after the jump!

Tips and Take-aways:

1. PRAY first. I know it's quite strange to some but I believe without God's guidance, it's easy to lose your temper along the process. Anger is counter productive. It won't bring you closer to your goal (OEC) so don't waste your energy. Put God first, start your journey right.
2. PREPARE all your documents. Better yet, call the POEA hotline if you must so you are sure. Photocopy everything in duplicate. However, in case you forgot - there's a photocopy service at POEA. Php 3.00 each. Medyo masungit si Ate as if you're disturbing her (nagca-candy crush kasi siya). So, smile ka na lang :)
3. KNOW your documents. Specially your contract. Read them and understand the general idea. If they are asking you to change or add something, revisit your contract and rebut nicely.
4. It took me 2 days to accomplish the whole thing. There's no PDOS on Fridays (only Mondays to Thursdays). This is for the main branch; don't know about the rest.
5. If you are a first time OFW - don't go to OWWA. Go to POEA as I've had the same exact experience. We went to OWWA only to know it should be in POEA that I should go.
6. On your flight date, ensure that these documents are with you: a) Passport b) PDOS Certificate c) OEC and d) employment contract. 
7. In the airport, you don't need to pay travel tax and terminal fees. There's a designated line for OFW's but when in doubt, always ask.

I won't lie. The whole OEC application is daunting and I've read so many horror stories about it. However, it's a law that we need to abide. That said, I suggest that we should do our best to comply and for all the things that we can't control, we have a GOD and He can make things beautiful.

That's it. Good luck on your journey, I hope you'll enjoy your travel. -CMK