Question & AnswerQ&A (POEA)
The primary policy is to promote and develop overseas employment opportunities in cooperation with government institutions and the private sector, protect Filipino workers and their families, promote their welfare, and implement programs for effective monitoring and reintegration of returning contract workers.
A Balik-Manggagawa is a landbased contract worker who is on vacation or emergency leave and is returning to the same worksite to resume his employment.
Applicants must be Filipino citizens or entities with at least 75% Filipino ownership, have a minimum capitalization of One Million Pesos, and must not be disqualified by law or POEA guidelines.
Illegal recruitment includes recruitment activities by non-licensees, suspended or revoked agencies, unauthorized agents or representatives, and charging excessive or unauthorized fees to workers before employment.
Requirements include registered Articles of Incorporation or business registration, proof of financial capacity, escrow agreement in the amount of P200,000, clearance from government agencies, proof of marketing capability, a verified undertaking to comply with laws and assume liabilities, list of personnel, and office lease or ownership proof.
No, licenses are non-transferable and shall be used only by the entity to whom they were issued. Transfer or use by others causes automatic revocation.
They include guaranteed wages, free transportation to and from worksite, free emergency medical and dental treatment, just causes for termination, workmen's compensation, repatriation of remains and belongings, assistance on remittance of salaries, and free or adequate board and lodging.
Complaints must be in writing, under oath, specifying complainant and respondent details, nature and grounds of complaint, date and place of occurrence, amount claimed if any, and relief sought, supported by documents if possible. They are filed with the Adjudication Office or regional offices.
Penalties include stern warning, repatriation at the worker's expense, suspension, and disqualification from the overseas employment program or delisting from the registry for seamen.
Contract workers must remit a specific percentage of their basic salary to beneficiaries in the Philippines and exchange it through the Philippine banking system, with percentages varying by worker category (e.g., 80% for seamen, 70% for certain professionals, 50% for others).
Grounds include charging illegal fees, misrepresentation, obstructing inspections, falsifying documents, failure to deploy workers within prescribed periods, appointment of unauthorized agents, publishing false job ads, withholding salaries without cause, and other violations of recruitment rules.
The license shall be valid for at least two years from the date of issuance unless sooner revoked, canceled, or suspended.
An Agency is defined as a private employment or manning agency engaged in recruitment and placement of Filipino workers for overseas employment.
Agencies must ensure all workers undergo PDOS before deployment, either by conducting it themselves with prior approval or through accredited entities. They must submit reports of PDOS conducted and ensure only accredited trainers conduct the seminars.
The order suspends or terminates all recruitment and placement activities of the agency, and the Administration can seek assistance of other government bodies to enforce the order.