ADVISORY No. 60
Series of 2020
Deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ)
Pursuant to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging
Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 36 Series of 2020, and subject to
compliance with pertinent provisions of the IATF Guidelines on the Modified
Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) that amends the IATF Omnibus
Guidelines on Community Quarantine, the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) hereby advises the public that:
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Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) whether land-based or sea-based
shall be allowed to be deployed abroad upon the execution of a Declaration
signifying their knowledge and understanding of the risks involved as advised
by the Philippine Government.
For this purpose, recruitment and placement agencies shall be likewise
allowed to operate in areas under the General and Modified Enhance
Community Quarantine subject to the observance of minimum health standards.
Further, government offices involved in the processing of their deployment are
hereby directed to establish “Green Lanes” to enable their prompt processing and
deployment. Further still, to facilitate the ease of deployment, the OFWs and
employees of these recruitment and placement agencies shall be allowed
unhampered transit to and from appropriate government offices for the
processing of their requirements and facilities such as airports, ferries, bus
terminals, etc., notwithstanding any Local Government Unit pronouncement to
the contrary. The said free access shall extend to the vehicles carrying the
aforementioned individuals in order for them to reach their final destination. No
fee or any other requirement shall be imposed by LGUs in this regard;
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Copies of the Declaration forms that shall be accomplished by the departing
workers are attached hereto as:
Adv60 Form 1 - COVID Declaration Newly-Hired Worker;
Adv60 Form 2 - COVID Declaration Returning Worker/ BM; and
Adv60 Form 3 - COVID Declaration GPB-Hired Worker.
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The POEA further advises the public that the provisions of IATF Resolution
cited above does not amend the previous IATF Resolution No. 23 Series of 2020.
As such, IATF Resolution No. 23 remains in effect. The same is clarified in POEA
Advisory No. 47 Series of 2020, to wit:
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However, pursuant to Inter-Agency Task Force-IED Resolution No. 23,
Series of 2020 approved on 13 April 2020, “all medical and allied healthcare
professionals with perfected and signed overseas employment contracts as of
08 March 2020 shall be allowed for deployment abroad upon the execution of
the Declaration signifying their knowledge and understanding of the risks
involved as advised by the Philippine government”.
As such, the following categories of health care workers shall be allowed
to proceed to their overseas employment:
1. Balik Manggagawa/ returning health care workers with OEC
Exemption certificates;
2. New hire health care workers hired through private recruitment
agencies (PRAs) with issued overseas employment certificates (OECs)
on or before March 8, 2020;
3. New hire health care workers under government-to-government hiring
programs who signed contracts on or prior to March 8, 2020 and with
issued OECs;
New hire health care workers through private recruitment agencies
whose request for processing (RFP) documents were submitted to POEA on or
before March 8, 2020 may be issued with OECs that would serve as their exit
permit subject to applicable conditions set forth in POEA Memorandum Circular
No. 7, Series of 2020 and GBR No. 9 Series of 2020 particularly those in
compliance with the quarantine protocols, social distancing measures, as well as
departure and immigration procedures currently in place.
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Previous IATF directives and POEA Governing Board Resolutions restricting
the deployment of landbased or seabased overseas Filipino workers to countries with
travel restrictions remain in effect until further amended.
Existing POEA Rules and Regulations on the documentation of OFWs,
processing of employment contracts, accreditation of foreign principals and the
issuance of overseas employment certificates (OECs) remain enforced.
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For the safety of the transacting public, this Advisory shall be applied
consistent with the minimum health and safety standards, social distancing measures
and appointment systems instituted by the POEA.
For the information and guidance of all concerned.