POEA warns OFWs against use of tourist or visit visa
Overseas Filipino Workers without the proper
employment documents are more prone to abuses and exploitation by their
employers, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said as it warned
OFWs anew against the use of tourist or visit visas to secure overseas jobs.
Cacdac said illegal recruiters are using a
third or fourth country, usually Aseanmember countries where visa is not
required of its citizens, and other countries in the Middle East as jump-off
points to send Filipino workers to banned destinations.
The POEA has existing deployment bans on Iraq,
Afghanistan, South Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Nigeria.
Cacdac cited the case of undocumented
household workers repatriated from Syria and Lebanon who complained of low or
unpaid wages, long hours of work, and physical and verbal abuse suffered from
their employers. The workers were found to have left the country using short-term
visit visas.
The POEA administrator said Dubai is one of
the favorite destinations of Filipino workers wanting to find work overseas.
But Cacdac said a foreigner holding a visit visa is not allowed to work in
Dubai and other countries.
In addition, holding a visit visa which expires
in 60 days has pressured many Filipinos to agree to a substandard employment
contract or submit themselves to physical and emotional exploitation.
“The legal way is to obtain an employment
contract and employment visa or work permit and submit them to the POEA for
processing and issuance of exit clearance,” Cacdac added.
Cacdac also reminded job applicants of the new
guidelines issued by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation establishing
stricter procedure on screening Filipinos leaving as tourist. A traveller found
to be misrepresenting the purpose of his or her foreign trip will not be
allowed to board the plane.
SOURCE : POEA
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