DOLE wants to minimize BI special work permits coverage

December 10, 2018

The Department of Labor and Employment said Monday it is examining to minimize coverage of special working permit being issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

In an interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he will discuss this  with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

“We will look at the possibility of either minimizing or completely withdrawing the authorization (SWP) we had granted,” said Bello.

The plan was affirmed by Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) director Dominique Tutay.

She said it would be impossible for the labor department to process all alien work permits by itself without the help of other government agencies.

“We can minimize the issuance of SWP (special working permit) by proposing which work engagement that is less than three or six months that can only be covered by it,” said Tutay in a separate interview.

in 2005, an agreement was entered into between the labor department and the Bureau of Immigration and the BI, where foreign workers will no longer be required to get alien employment permits from the former if they would work in the country for not more than six months.

Thus, the BI was authorized to issue special working permits to foreign nationals to be employed in the Philippines  not exceeding six months. DMS