Groups of recruitment agencies openly aired their protests against new memorandums from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that  adds 44 overseas jobs to the classification of “low- and semi-skilled” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).   Groups of recruitment agencies openly aired their protests against new memorandums from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that  adds 44 overseas jobs to the classification of “low- and semi-skilled” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The new POEA rule also means stricter visa processing and additional requirements for occupations that belong to the said category.  

According to the Federated Associations of Manpower Exporters (Fame), an organization of recruitment agencies, the new POEA rule is not necessary because it would slow down the hiring process, thus would result to the decreased deployment of OFWs. The FAME also said that POEA created the new rules without seeking the opinion and approval of the manpower agencies.

Under the said memorandums, employment contracts of OFWs belonging in the low and semi-skilled category would now have to go through the screening of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) before it will be processed. The work contracts also need to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy in the host country.

The president of Fame, Eduardo Mahiya said “The recruitment industry is already over-regulated, “strangulating the sector with more rules that are not conducive to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s thrust to create more jobs abroad.”

Mahiya added, “What is the use of all these marketing missions which the President herself attends if after coming home, we, the direct providers of overseas employment opportunities are prevented from deploying more?”

Recruitment agencies also complained that the government agency provided no transition period for the implementation of the new rule, thus affecting even job orders that are already for approval.

“The MCs were issued last June 15 and implemented right away (July 1). It was formulated without due consultation, and there is not even a transition period to allow the stakeholders to prepare,” he explained

A recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani also said that the POEA memorandums would result in a maze of forms and certifications from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), labor attaches, valid visas/work permits, individual employment contracts.

According to Geslani, the additional requirement would discourage foreign recruitment offices to hire OFWs especially in the Middle East.

Geslani said, “The end result will be a massive drop in deployment starting by the third quarter of 2009."

On the other hand, the POEA explained that Memorandum Circular 5 and 6 was imposed with the objective to further protect OFWs from exploitation and abuse. The POEA Chief, Jennifer Manalili said that the 44 overseas jobs added in the June 15 circular are the most exploited. This is the reason why they required POLO verification prior to approval of a job order.