QuestionsQuestions (POEA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 62)
It mandates that all agencies authorized to conduct Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) must emphasize to departing overseas Filipino workers (OCWs) and dependents the need to obey Saudi laws and strict Islamic code of conduct, particularly to avoid prohibited acts like illegal drug or liquor trafficking that may lead to detention, imprisonment, or repatriation.
The report stated an increasing number of Filipino OCWs and dependents were being jailed or detained for violation or circumvention of Saudi laws.
It was observed that many failed to attend an honest-to-goodness orientation prior to their departure.
All agencies and entities authorized to conduct PDOS are obliged to emphasize, during orientation, the need for strict obedience to Saudi laws and Islamic Code of conduct, including warnings against prohibited acts such as illegal drug or liquor trafficking.
Departing OCWs and their dependents being deployed to Saudi Arabia.
Illegal drug or liquor trafficking (and, more generally, prohibited acts violating Saudi laws and Islamic code of conduct).
Being jailed and/or repatriated.
It imposes a compliance obligation on PDOS-authorized entities to include specific content in PDOS—namely, strict adherence to Saudi law and Islamic discipline and warnings against prohibited acts.
No. The circular does not lay out the whole PDOS curriculum; it primarily focuses on the need to emphasize strict Islamic code of conduct and avoidance of prohibited acts that could lead to arrest, imprisonment, or repatriation.
The circular treats PDOS as the preventive mechanism to educate workers before deployment so they can avoid Saudi legal violations; therefore PDOS providers must ensure their orientations are genuine and substantive.
It implies that some workers may have been able to complete PDOS requirements superficially or without meaningful participation, prompting POEA to require PDOS providers to ensure real orientation content.
They must comply with the circular by delivering PDOS that specifically emphasizes Saudi legal compliance and Islamic code discipline, including warnings against illegal drug or liquor trafficking.
Students may use it to argue that PDOS providers have an affirmative compliance duty to include required emphasis/warnings; failure to do so may be relevant in assessing administrative lapses by authorized agencies.
They should ensure the orientation is meaningful and includes clear instruction about obeying strict Saudi Islamic code of conduct and avoiding prohibited acts (especially drug and liquor trafficking) to reduce the risk of detention or repatriation.
It frames compliance as essential to preventing legal trouble abroad—specifically arrests leading to imprisonment and/or repatriation.