MANILA, Philippines — As many as 2.5 million overseas employment certificates (OECs) and passes were issued by the Department of Migrant Workers last year, DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac on Thursday.
“Talagang bumalik sa pre-pandemic levels and more ang overseas employment ng ating mga mahal na OFWs – 2.5 million ang overseas employment certificates and passes ang na-issue ng ating mga tauhan, mga frontliners natin on the ground para magkaroon/mag-facilitate ng mga trabaho ng mga OFWs natin na nag-decide na manumbalik,” said Cacdac In the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.
(Overseas employment has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and more overseas employment of our beloved OFWs–2.5 million overseas employment certificates and passes were issued by our personnel, frontliners on the ground so that jobs could be facilitated for OFWs who decided to return.)
Cacdac also honored the late DMW Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople’s contributions before she died in August 2023, saying that she made streamlining the process of securing an OEC worked.
“I’m proud to say, noong time ni Sec. Toots, napabilis ‘no iyong proseso. So bukod sa dami ng na-issue na Overseas Employment Certificates ay bumilis ang proseso – less than one day, nai-issue ang mga OECs and pati iyong accreditation ng mga foreign employers from a period of around 20 to 30 days naipababa ni Secretary Toots ng mga 7 to 15 days,” he said.
(I’m proud to say, during the time of Sec. Toots, the process was expedited. So, other than issuing Overseas Employment Certificates, the process became faster — less than one day, OECs were issued, and even the accreditation of foreign employers from a period of around 20 to 30 days, Secretary Ople reduced it to 7 to 15 days.)