Title
POEA Age and Protection Rules for Overseas Household Workers
Law
Poea Memorandum Circular No. 20
Decision Date
Dec 3, 1998
The POEA mandates a minimum age of 21 for female overseas household workers, allowing exceptions for countries with higher age requirements or where 18 is the legal minimum, while ensuring deployment only in nations that protect the rights of migrant workers.
A

State Policy on Gender Equality and Protection of Migrant Women Workers

  • Affirmation of gender equality before the law.
  • Recognition of the important role of women in nation-building.
  • Acknowledgment of vulnerabilities faced by overseas migrant women workers.
  • Commitment to apply gender-sensitive criteria in policies and programs related to migrant workers.

Protection Based on Skills and Deploying Workers to Protective Countries

  • Emphasis on skill possession as the ultimate protection for migrant workers.
  • Deployment restricted to countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.

Guarantees for Protection in Receiving Countries

  • Deployment only allowed where there is a guarantee of protection, evidenced by:
    • Existing labor and social laws protecting migrant household workers.
    • Signatory status to multilateral conventions, declarations, or resolutions on migrant worker protection.
    • Bilateral agreements or arrangements with the Philippines.
    • Active and concrete measures taken by the country to protect migrant household workers.

Pre-qualification and Regulatory Measures

  • Adoption of pre-qualification requirements for foreign placement agencies and employers hiring household workers.
  • Continued recruitment through licensed agencies, direct hiring, and name hiring with guidelines on accreditation and contract processing to be formulated by POEA.
  • Strengthening of the POEA Household Workers Center to implement the resolution's intents and objectives.

Legal and Administrative Framework

  • Resolution adopted by POEA Governing Board.
  • Signed by key officials including the Secretary of Labor and Employment and POEA Administrator.
  • Emphasizes cooperation between government bodies and adherence to protective standards for overseas Filipino household workers.

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