The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) released Memorandum Circular No. 05 (Series of 2008) regarding the processing of Seafarers’ Employment Contracts during week-ends and holidays.

This new Circular superseded Memorandum Circular No. 63, Series of 1992 concerns

all licensed manning agencies, accredited shipping companies and seafarers. The POEA issued the new rule to facilitate the mobilization of Filipino seafarers on week-ends and holidays, the following guidelines shall be observed in the processing of their documents at the Labor Assistance Center (LAC) of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

1. Licensed manning agencies and seafarers shall submit a request for processing together with the complete documentary requirements at LAC  
2. The authorized representative of the agencies or the concerned seafarer/s shall submit the following requirements:

a)     Letter request for processing (2 copies)

b)     Request for Processing Form (RPF- 2 copies)

c)     Standard employment contract together with the one-page contract (3 copies)

d)     Valid Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB)

e)     Valid Seafarer’s Registration  Card (SRC)

f)       Duly filled up Information Sheet

g)     Copy of fax message from the principal on the urgent dispatch of the required crew

h)     Confirmed ticket together with photocopies

i)        Certificate of Attendance to Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS)

j)       Notarized Undertaking to the effect that: 

j.1 the seafarer/s is/are to leave within Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning or that particular holiday.

j.2 that the agency received the request for urgent dispatch of the required crew at a time when the agency can no longer process at the SEAPC due to short notice particularly falling after office hours  of the last working day of the week, on weekends and on holidays.

j.3 any misrepresentation committed by the agency shall be penalized by suspension of license after due investigation in accordance with the POEA Rules and Regulations.

3. Processing fee of Two-Hundred Fifty Pesos (P250.00) per seafarer shall be collected by LAC personnel who are hereby designated Collecting Officers. The OWWA personnel assigned at the NAIA shall collect the corresponding welfare fund contribution. The Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) shall be issued to the departing seafarer/s upon payment of the corresponding fees.
4. The LAC shall endorse to the SEAPC the processed documents together with copies of official receipts for the payment of processing fee and OWWA contribution on the following day. These documents shall be accompanied by log sheets on processed documents and OEC’s issued for encoding and updating of seafarer’s records in the database.