The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued a new policy regarding exit clearance or overseas employment certificates (OEC) of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Under the new rule, OFWs must submit their exit clearances or OEC) directly to the airline counters, terminal fee counters and the Bureau of Immigration counters.

Under the previous policy, departing OFWs are required to present their exit clearance or OEC to the POEA LAC counter to be allowed to leave the country.

In addition, the POEA’s Labor Assistance Counters (LACs) can only accommodate OFWs with documentation problems, issue OECs to OFWs leaving within 24 hours, and distribution of information and education materials.

According to POEA Chief, Baldoz, the new policy aims to "streamline the process in the deployment of OFWs. The implementation of the new procedure coincides with the start of the peak season when thousands of OFWs are expected to return to their job sites after attending the graduation of their family members, and observing Holy Week in the country."