Question & AnswerQ&A (POEA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 17, S. 2002)
The Special Recruitment Authority (SRA) refers to the authority granted to a recruitment agency to conduct recruitment activities outside its registered business address, as approved by the POEA Administration.
These guidelines apply to all recruitment activities conducted outside the registered office or address stated in the license of an agency or its acknowledged additional offices, except for recruitment activities under the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Act of 1999 (RA 8759).
An agency may designate a maximum of four (4) local representatives who have full authority to decide on the selection of workers during the special recruitment activity.
Applications may be filed at the Employment Regulation Branch/Licensing and Regulation Office; the POEA Regional Center or Regional Extension Unit under whose jurisdiction the agency is located; or the POEA Regional Center or Regional Extension Unit under whose jurisdiction the recruitment activity will be conducted.
Applications for SRA must be filed at least three (3) days before the scheduled date of the special recruitment activity.
The SRA is valid only on the specific date(s) and within the venue stated in the authority, unless it is extended, modified, or revoked by the Administration.
An agency may conduct special recruitment activities for a maximum of two (2) weeks cumulatively in a month. Longer durations may be allowed if the agency attains a minimum annual deployment of 10% of the applicants recruited during special recruitment activities.
An agency must submit two reports: a terminal report within five (5) days and a progress deployment report within one hundred twenty (120) days from the end of the special recruitment activity using prescribed forms. No further issuance of SRA will be made until these reports are submitted.
The Administration may cancel the SRA for violations such as breach of conditions related to venue, representatives, duration, failure to comply with guidelines, or other applicable rules and regulations.
No, agencies invited or conducting recruitment in Public Employment Service Offices are not required to secure an SRA but these activities remain subject to applicable rules and regulations governing overseas employment.
No, conducting interviews in hotels within Metro Manila no longer requires an SRA or inspectors' presence. A prior letter of advice informing the Administration is sufficient.
Manpower pooling in special recruitment activities is not allowed outside Metro Manila. For activities involving manpower pooling within Metro Manila, agencies must display the phrase 'FOR MANPOWER POOLING ONLY' in bold and legible letters within the recruitment area.