POEA orders recruitment, manning agencies to submit weekly reports on their OFWs in Middle East

January 20, 2020

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has ordered  recruitment and manning agencies to closely monitor their land-based and sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East. 

In separate advisories, the POEA said recruitment and manning agencies must submit weekly reports on the conditions of their OFWs deployed in Middle East. 

"Manning agencies are directed to regularly coordinate with their respective principals, and closely monitor the condition of their deployed seafarers onboard," said POEA Advisory No. 02-2020. 

"All Philippine Recruitment Agencies (PRAS) deploying Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to the Middle East are advised to vigilantly monitor the status of their deployed workers, in view of the tension between the Iran and the United States of America which could affect the entire region," said POEA Advisory No. 03-2020. 

For manning agencies, the POEA said there is a need to monitor the status of Filipino seafarers' on vessels transiting in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and the Indian Ocean. 

POEA asked manning agencies to provide the government with a list of all seafarers', including exact trade routes, type of vessel, contact numbers, information on their respective employers with contact numbers and addresses. 

POEA said recruitment and manning agencies are mandated to use the presscribed OFW monitoring form in their reporting. 

POEA said said reports must be submitted to the POEA Welfare and Employment Office every Tuesday. DMS