HIRING FILIPINO WORKERS

What this is For:

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is the governments arm in managing
the migration of Filipino workers (OFW) overseas. It is an agency attached to the Department of
Labor and Employment. Four operating offices and a support group provide the systematic delivery
of services for the recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers, namely:

The Pre-Employment Services Office (PSO) handles the registration or accreditation of foreign
employers as principals; approval of job orders; documentation of new hire selected workers and
returning workers through the issuance of the E-receipt or Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)
to all legally recruited Filipino workers.
The Welfare and Employment Office (WEO) provides welfare assistance services; conducts pre-
employment and pre-departure orientation seminars; registers Filipino workers for manpower pooling
and placement purposes; certifies Overseas Performing Artists (OPA) and provides government
placement services.
The Licensing and Regulation Office (LRO) regulates the operations of private employment and
manning agencies, spearheads the governments program against illegal recruitment; and provides
airport assistance to departing Filipino workers.
The Adjudication Office (AO) hears and decides cases filed against licensed private employment
and manning agencies, foreign employers, and OFWs violating rules and regulations set by the
Administration; carries out legal research in aid of policy direction and case dispositions. It maintains
a roster of OFWs serving penalties for violation of the Code of Conduct for Overseas Workers and
list of suspended, cancelled, banned, delisted licensed employment agencies.
The Management Services Group (MSG) provides support to the four offices through market
research and development, employment standard formulation, policy research, public information
and education activities; management information system (MIS); fiscal and administrative services.
The POEA is an ISO certified organization. This certification is proof its quality management system
that is at par with international standards.
It also symbolizes the POEAs commitment to improve its services for the satisfaction of its
customers through continuous systems improvement and development of its human resources.

How to File:
PROCEDURE: THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Over the years, the Philippines has deployed more than 3 million Filipino workers in 190 destinations
in various fields professional, medical, technical, operations and maintenance, construction, hotel
and seafaring sectors.
The recruitment of Filipino workers is done through a systematic recruitment network where foreign
principals must course their manpower requirements through POEA licensed private employment
and manning agencies. If the foreign employer is a government entity or a government owned or
controlled company, the latter may opt to course its hiring through the POEAs Government
Placement Branch (GPB.
Private employment agencies are either:
landbased agencies: any person (natural or juridical) licensed by the POEA to recruit workers for all
landbased jobs for and in behalf of its foreign principal;
seabased agencies: any person (natural or juridical) licensed by the POEA to recruit seafarers to
man/board vessels plying international sea lanes and other related maritime activities
These licensed employment agencies ensure that only Filipino workers qualified and medically fit are
deployed to their employers. Hence, Filipino workers are medically examined by government
accredited medical clinics or hospitals and trade-tested or trained by training centers centers
authorized by the government.
HOW TO HIRE FILIPINO WORKERS
1. A prospective employer interested to hire the services of Filipino workers may choose from the
official list of licensed private employment agencies (landbased and seabased) available at the
nearest Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), Philippine Embassy/Consulate in their country or
the POEA website at www.poea.gov.ph. The employer may write the POEA directly for agency
referral assistance (refer to section on Client Referral Assistance).

Other Documentary Requirements:

2. An employer who has identified a Philippine agent which will source his/her manpower
requirement must submit the recruitment documents to the nearest Philippine Overseas Labor Office
(POLO) at the Philippine embassy/consulate for verification:
This process ascertains the:
1. existence of the company or project,
2.the need for Filipino manpower.
For landbased principals
a. Special Power of Attorney or Service/Recruitment Agreement
b. Master Employment Contract with the minimum contract provisions on:
c. Manpower request
If there is no POLO at the jobsite the employer will undergo the POEA accreditation process and the
local agent submits to POEA the items mentioned in a, b, and c and visa documents.
for manning principals:
a. Manning agreement containing among others, the responsibilities of both principal and manning
agency with respect to the employment of seafarers;
b. Special Power of Attorney;
c. List of ships and their particulars including IMO number;
d. Crew complement;
e. Valid business license registration certificate or equivalent document or proof of existence of
business validated or certified by the issuing authority in the host country; and
f. Other documents which the Administration may find necessary.
A foreign principal that acts as a direct employer of landbased worker may be registered to more
than one (1) Philippine agency. A foreign principal that is licensed to operate as a foreign placement
agency may be registered/accredited to a maximum of two (2) Philippine agencies subject to the
conditions prescribed by the POEA.
REGISTRATION OF PHILIPPINE OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS BOARD (POCB) REGISTERED
PROJECTS
POCB registered projects shall also be registered with the Administration without undergoing the
regular procedure, subject to prescribed conditions of the POEA.
EXPENSES FOR HIRING FILIPINO WORKERS
Private employment entities charge service fees from the employers/principal as payment for
services rendered in the recruitment and placement of workers. The fees among others cover cost
of:
US$ 100.00 POEA processing fee
US$ 25.00 Worker membership with the Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA)
Visa
Private landbased recruitment agencies are allowed to collect from its workers placement fee
equivalent to one (1) month salary except in countries where laws prohibit collection of fees from
workers. The placement fee is exclusive of documentation and processing costs, and may only be
collected upon signing of the employment contract.
Documentation and processing costs cover trade/skill testing, medical examination, passport,
clearances, inoculation, authentications, Philhealth premium, and other costs related to
documentation.
Manning agencies are not allowed to collect any fee from its hired workers.
For manning agencies, the fees paid by the employer cover:
Processing Fee: PhP200.00
OWWA: PhP1,275
MINIMUM CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
1. Guaranteed wages for regular working hours and overtime pay, which shall not be lower than the
prescribed minimum wage in the host country or not lower than the appropriate minimum wage
standards set forth in a bilateral agreement or international convention, if applicable, or not lower
than the minimum wage in the country, whichever is highest;
2. Free transportation to and from worksite, or offsetting benefit;
3. Free food and accommodation, or offsetting benefit;
4. Just/authorized causes for termination of contract or of the service of the worker taking into
consideration the customs, traditions, mores, practices, company policies and the labor laws and
social legislations of the host country.
The Administration may also consider the following as basis for other provisions of the contract:
1. existing labor and social laws of the country;
2. relevant agreements, conventions, legislations or resolutions;
3. relevant bilateral and multilateral agreements or arrangements with the host country, and
4. prevailing conditions/realities in the market.
POEA Exit Clearance For OFWs
The exit clearance comes in the form of an E-Receipt or an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)
attesting/certifying to the regularity of a workers recruitment and documentation and ensures
exemption from travel tax, airport terminal fee, and for clearance at the POEA Labor Assistance
Counter (LAC) desk at the airport and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) counter, prior to departure.
The E-Receipt or OEC serves as the workers guarantee that he/she is covered by government
protection and benefits.
Name Hiring
Individuals who have secured overseas employment opportunity with an employer without the
assistance of an agency are documented as name hires upon submission of the following:
1. Employment contract which conforms to the POEA minimum standards, authenticated or verified
by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate/Labor Office (in countries where authentication/verification is
required) signed by the employer and worker. However, verification by POLO is only required for
household workers and not necessary for professional workers
2. Valid passport
3. Work permit or employment visa or equivalent document
After the evaluation of their employment documents name-hires undergo pre-departure orientation
seminar conducted by the POEA and medical examination conducted by medical clinics or hospitals
accredited by the Department of Health to undertake medical examination for OFWs.
FEES SHOULDERED BY THE EMPLOYER FOR NAME HIRES
1.Worker processing fee covering evaluation and processing and issuance of the E-receipt
(electronic receipt); cost of pre-departure orientation seminar for departing workers US$ 100.00 or its
peso equivalent
2. Worker membership with the OWWA US$ 25.00 or its peso equivalent and PhP 900.00 Medicare
The Client Referral Assistance (CRA)
The POEA, through its Marketing Branch, can assist foreign employers find a licensed local agent to
supply their manpower needs. Under this program, the POEA provides the foreign
principal/employer a list of licensed and reputable agencies that can assist in the recruitment and
hiring Filipino manpower. The agencies shall submit proposals for the employers consideration. If
the employer and the local agent agree on the terms of recruitment the latter shall handle all
recruitment activities, including advertisements on behalf of the employer.