BI gets tech support from OWWA to assist OFWs

Bureau of Immigration. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ

MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to further ease the travel experience of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) introduced on Tuesday new measures to expedite its depature procedures.

In a statement, BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said that he personally received six tablets and six bar code readers that BI personnel at the airport could use to check the legitimacy and validity of OWWA E-cards (OEC).

The new gadgets will also help in screening and intercepting fraudulent documents and information being given to some OFWs.

“This system prevents that, as it automatically checks the validity of the E-card, which contains their OEC information,” Medina said, referring to some cases of OFWs that were victimized by syndicates behind frauds or invalid overseas employment certificates.

“With the acquisition of these modern gadgets, the validity and genuineness of an E-Card can easily be checked in a matter of seconds—with the mere stroke of the finger,” Medina added.

The E-cards serves as the exit clearance of OFWs from the country. It also allows Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) members to avail OWWA services faster, allow use of the mobile application, and may be used as a permanent government-issued ID.

According to Medina, the gadgets would let BI personnel assigned at the airport to conduct pre-screening of OFWs even before they arrivied at the counters.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente then lauded the partnership between the agency and OWWA.

“This partnership between BI and OWWA shows that government agencies who work together to improve their services are able to achieve so much,” Morente said.

“This tech upgrade would go a long way in improving our services for our country’s modern day heroes,” he added. /jpv