POEA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 09

: Philippine passports must be valid for at least two years or six months beyond the duration of their employment contracts, whichever is longer.
: To avoid unnecessary inconveniences in the renewal of their passports while they are deployed in countries where no Philippine missions are present to assist them.
: Cyprus, Palestine, Syria (also Yemen).
: Algeria, Mozambique, Angola (among many others listed).
: They must present a Philippine passport valid as required by the memorandum (at least two years or six months beyond their employment contract).
: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recommended the passport validity requirement.
: The OEC is a document issued to OFWs as a pre-requisite for their deployment abroad, and its processing requires compliance with the passport validity requirement for certain countries.
: The DFA advises on passport validity requirements to ensure OFWs are properly documented and can avoid difficulties related to passport renewal abroad.