OFW ID Replaces OEC for Filipino Employees in UAE
- A new Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) ID, is being launched in Manila, Philippines, on 12th July, 2017
- The OFW ID , also known as iDOLE (ID of the Department of Labor and Employment), will be a replacement for the previously issued Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) for expat Filipinos working in UAE
- The OFW ID can be used in place of other Philippine government IDs like Social Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund, and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation cards
- Filipino expats can use the OFW ID for government transactions like getting a police clearance or as an ATM or debit card to send money back home via the proposed OFW Bank
- An OEC is a travel document or exit pass that has to be presented at international ports of exit in the Philippines before an overseas Filipino worker can return to the country of their employment
- An OEC is a proof that an OFW is properly documented and legally employed to work abroad
- According to Philippine official records, there are 10 million overseas Filipino workers worldwide
- All official pronouncement/guidelines for Filipino expat workers in Dubai are posted on the POLO-Dubai (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) portal
- In Dubai, getting an Overseas Employment Certificate costs AED 110 for the initial application