The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has extended indefinitely the implementation of the Balik Manggagawa online evaluation amid the ongoing community quarantine.

The BM online evaluation which supplements the existing BM online system may be used by returning workers for an efficient transaction on securing their travel exit clearance or Overseas Employment Certificates (OEC).

To use the expanded online evaluation, DoLE said, returning workers with previous online records and who have not completed their online transactions must first log-in to an existing account at www.bmonline.ph to secure their OEC.

"When no OEC exemption certificate is issued by the system, the BM is prompted to make an appointment and must select the preferred date and POEA processing site," said DoLE in a statement. 

"The BM must scan or take a picture of all the basic requirements for submission, including their valid passport for at least six months from the date of departure, valid and appropriate visa and or work permit, and POLO-verified employment contract," it added.

The Labor department said any proof of existing employment that the BM is returning to the same employer, such as valid company ID and recent pays slips, is also needed for evaluation.

For OFWs who are returning to the same employer but to a different country, DoLE said, a letter from the employer attesting the transfer of the job site must be submitted.

The Labor department said as additional requirements, workers must also submit online a copy of their quarantine travel pass and clearance, a copy of the page of the passport indicating the last departure and arrival date, copy of BM appointment sheet, previously issued OEC, and their confirmed itinerary.

All scanned copies of the above-mentioned documents must be submitted to the nearest authorized processing site on the date of the worker’s selected appointment.

The list of authorized POEA processing sites and their email address may be accessed at http://poea.gov.ph/memorandumcirculars/2020/MC-27-2020.pdf

The BM will receive a payment reference number once the application is approved and may pay the fees through the preferred Bayad Center. The BMs may print their OECs from their BM account once the payment is confirmed.

"The online evaluation, however, is not available to previously undocumented BMs, workers with no BM online accounts, workers with watchlisted employers, workers returning to restricted markets, watchlisted workers, as well as to household service workers," said DoLE.

Workers who need immediate assistance on their BM online account are advised to contact the Balik Manggagawa Processing Division at [email protected]. 

Meanwhile, newly-hired and returning OFWs holding OECs with expired validity date can have their exit clearance revalidated in any Philippine international airport on the day of their flight.

In an advisory, the POEA reiterated that OECs or exit clearances that expired during the community quarantine, lockdowns, or travel restrictions in the OFWs’ country of destination, and due to unforeseen flight cancelations, shall be revalidated for deployment purposes.

As such, OFWs with expired OECs shall proceed to the POEA Labor Assistance Center (LAC) at the airport on the day of their flight and submit pertinent documents, including the original copy of their expired OEC, copy of employment contract, copy of valid work permit and visa, and their valid passport.

The LAC shall then evaluate and validate the submitted documents if the worker’s employment documents had been processed and approved by POEA.

The expired OEC will be stamped “cleared” after the revalidation.  

DoLE advised departing OFWs to allocate additional time to process the revalidation of their OEC at the LAC.