Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 787)
The headquarters of the Middle East and Africa Regional Labor Office is established in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with an operation support staff in Manila.
The head of the Regional Labor Office is given the rank of Deputy Minister and Ambassador (Chief of Division II).
The office covers Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, North and South Yemen, Nigeria, Libya, Malta, Cyprus, and other areas that may be designated by the President.
The main functions include coordinating labor, employment and welfare service activities; promoting Filipino manpower; protecting Filipino workers’ interests and welfare; maximizing foreign exchange generation; providing cultural, welfare, information, and legal assistance; entering into contracts with private sector entities; monitoring contracts; adjudicating labor cases; imposing sanctions for violations; and maintaining a registry of workers and companies.
The Office has the authority to hear, try, and decide cases involving employer-employee relations including money claims related to overseas employment. Decisions of the Office are final and executory, subject only to appeal to the Minister of Labor and Employment, whose decisions are final and inappealable.
The Office can suspend or revoke authority to deploy workers, and impose fines or other penalties on violators.
It is initially funded from the Workers Welfare Fund (WELFUND) with P7,000,000 released by the Minister of the Budget. Subsequently, one-fourth of the previous year's incremental WELFUND collections will be allocated annually, plus inclusion in the General Appropriations Act.
The Office approves, endorses, processes, and monitors all such contracts or agreements to ensure compliance and proper implementation.
It may coordinate with the overseas employment offices of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Construction Industry Authority, Central Bank of the Philippines, Ministry of Justice, Manila International Airport Authorities, and the One-Stop Processing Center and Labor Assistance Center.