Legal Mandate

PD 797 (1982)

· promote and develop the overseas employment program

· protect the rights of migrant workers

EO 247 (1987)

· regulate private sector participation in recruitment and overseas placement maintain registry of skills

· secure best terms of employment for OFWs

RA 8042 (1995)

· tripartism

· full disclosure

· deregulation

· selective deployment

· dynamism in systems and information technology

RA 9422 (2007)

· reinforced regulatory function

· protect the rights of OFW as a worker and human being

Structure

The POEA has an organizational structure with the POEA Governing Board at the top. The Secretary of Labor and Employment heads the Governing Board, and the POEA Administrator as vice-chairman and representatives from the private, women, sea-based and land-based sectors as members. 　

The POEA Administrator oversees the daily operations of the agency and is supported by three deputy administrators.

The Deputy Administrator for Employment and Welfare oversees the Pre-Employment Services Office and the Welfare and Employment Office.

Under the Deputy Administrator for Adjudication and Employment Regulation are the Licensing and Regulation Office and the Adjudication Office

The Deputy Administrator for Management handles the general administrative and support services of the administration.

Clientele

An average of 3,000 clients and as much as 5,000 clients s are served by POEA main office daily.　 Our clients include Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Licensed Recruitment and Manning Agencies Foreign Employers/Principals Applicants – Workers/ Would be Applicants, NGOs, media, and the general public.

Regional Offices

The POEA has three (3) Regional Centers which are located in La Union for Luzon, Cebu for the Visayas region and Davao for the Mindanao area.

Regional Extension Units are in Baguio-Cordillera Administrative Region, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga while satellite offices are located in Pampanga, Calamba, Laguna, Legaspi, Bacolod and Tacloban.

Core Functions

Industry Regulation 

·        Issues license to engage in overseas recruitment and manning to private recruitment agencies and ship manning companies

·        Hears and arbitrates complaints and cases filed against recruitment and manning agencies, foreign principals and employers, and overseas workers for reported violation of POEA rules and regulations, except for money claims

·        Implements a system of incentives and penalty for private sector participants

·        Sets minimum labor standards

·        Monitors overseas job advertisements on print, broadcast and television

·        Supervises the government’s program on anti-illegal recruitment

·        Imposes disciplinary actions on erring employers and workers and seafarers

Employment Facilitation

·        Accredits/ registers foreign principals and employers hiring Filipino workers

·        Approves manpower requests of foreign principals and employers

·        Evaluates and processes employment contracts

·        Assists departing workers at the ports of exit

·        Develops and monitors markets and conducts market research

·        Conducts marketing missions

·        Enters into memorandum of understanding on the hiring of Filipino workers with labor–receiving countries

·        Facilitates the deployment of workers hired through government-to-government arrangement

·        Provides a system of worker’s registry

Worker’s Protection

·        Intensifies public education and information campaign

·        Conducts pre-employment orientation and anti-illegal recruitment seminars nationwide

·        Conducts Pre-Deployment Orientation Seminars (PDOS) to workers hired through the government-to-government arrangement and name hires

·        Provides technical assistance in the drafting of bilateral and multilateral agreements

·        Provides legal assistance to victims of illegal recruitment

·        Prepares OFW global mapping and profiling

·        Implements gender-sensitive programs

·        Networks with non-government organizations, workers’ organizations, etc.

·        Provides repatriation assistance

General Administration and Support Services

·        Human Resources Development

·        Property and Supplies Management

·        Financial Management

·        Information and Communication Technology

·        Plans and Policy Development

·        Quality Management System

Program Thrusts

INDUSTRY REGULATION

• Continuing Agency Education and Agency Performance Evaluation/Ranking and Classification System

          - Pre-application orientation seminar
          - Labor market fora
          - Seminar on best recruitment practices

• Implementation of comprehensive case management program

          - Conciliation

          - Adjudication

          - Monitoring of appeals

          - Enforcement of decisions

EMPLOYMENT FACILITATION

Facilitation of 1 million OFW deployment

          - Dispatch of technical marketing missions

          - Intensify marketing intelligence work

          - Pursue bilateral/multi-lateral agreements

          - Encourage visit of foreign gov’ts and employers

          - Strengthen linkages with education and training sector

          - Enhance coordination with host governments

          - Enforce policy on skills competencies

WORKERS PROTECTION

Global OFW mapping and profiling

- Fast track information on OFWs worldwide, their work sites, skills, and gender. The       target countries for 2008 are: KSA, JAPAN, TAIWAN, UAE, KUWAIT, QATAR, HONG KONG, LEBANON, SOUTH KOREA, BAHRAIN, SINGAPORE, JORDAN, ISRAEL, OMAN, UK, USA, MALAYSIA, BRUNEI, CYPRUS, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, RUSSIA, AFGHANISTAN, ALGERIA, ANGOLA, IRAN, IRAQ, NIGERIA, YEMEN

Intensification of AIR campaign

          PREVENTIVE

         - Pre-employment orientation seminars

         - Illegal recruitment free-LGUs

         - Multi-media information and education program

          REMEDIAL

         - Legal assistance to IR victims

         - Surveillance/Entrapment operations

         - Arrests

         - Prosecution

         - Closure of establishments

Implementation of incentive program for victims and witnesses of illegal recruitment

          - Payment of docket fees and other court or legal fees

          - Employment without placement fees

Provision of on-site remedies to OFWs to file complaints against employer or agency

OFWs may file complaints for violations of POEA rules against principal, employer, and/or Philippine recruitment agency at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office s (POLOs)