OFWs Benefit From One-Stop-Service

An increasing number of overseas Filipino workers continue to benefit from a more convenient and streamlined frontline services brought by One-Stop Service Center for OFWs (OSSCO) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Based on the latest report from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, close to 600,000 OFWs had been served and benefited from OSSCOs nationwide.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III ordered the establishment of the service centers last year pursuant to the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to make the services of the government more accessible to OFWs.

“Our attached agencies and other government offices established One-Stop-Service Centers to ensure the speedy and timely delivery of various government services to our OFWs,” Bello said.

Based on the report, the main OSSCO located at POEA Office in Mandaluyong City served a total of 463,423 OFWs as of 31 March 2017 or in less than a year after it was launched on 15 August 2016. The report showed that the main service center responded to 209,244 queries; received a total of 299,629 documents for processing; issued 31,365 certificates; and provided hands-on assistance to 2,499 clients.

The regional service centers recorded a total of 37,974 clients from the 16 established OSSCO nationwide. Bello said the purpose of the OSSCO is to shorten the processing time for OFW documents, adding that DOLE also seeks to reduce the expenses of OFWs since the services of concerned government agencies can already be availed of in just one location.

The partner government agencies at OSSCO are Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Maritime lndustry Authority (MARINA), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), Philippine Health lnsurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bureau of Immigration (BI), National Bureau of lnvestigation (NBI), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Tourism lnfrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of lnternal Revenue (BIR).

Moreover, POEA also reported that 60,778 clients have been served and benefited from the 24/7 Hotlines relative to OFWs issues and concerns. Filipinos who are currently working or planning to work overseas are encouraged to visit the service centers located at POEA Central Office and in 16 regional centers to address their various concerns from 8 am to 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays. (DOLE)