The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is set to launch a digital app containing the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) Pass as part of its modernization program. DMW Secretary Susan Ople said the OFW Pass is the digital alternative to the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), adding that it is now undergoing rigorous testing by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) prior to a formal launch. “The idea for the app and OFW Pass came from the clamor of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for a more convenient alternative to the OEC which comes in paper form and with a P100 fee,” said Ople during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum where she presented the digital app. The OFW Pass is set to be launched right after the DICT gives its green light to the DMW. The DMW mobile app will be available on Google Play and Apple Store. The DMW and the Bureau of Immigration signed a Memorandum of Agreement to make sure both agencies are in sync in terms of database management and other relevant processes. Ople added that it was also in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to come up with a convenient and modernized platform which would be free of charge for all OFW users. “President Marcos made it clear that the OFW Pass should be free in honor of the huge sacrifices being made and contributions of our modern-day heroes to the needs of their respective families and the Philippine economy as a whole,” Ople said. “Our goal is to make the journey of our OFWs much easier. The OFW Pass, in comparison with the decades old OEC, is convenient, practical, and free of use. In the next phase, we hope to be able to add more features to our mobile app and integrate this with the e-Gov app of the DICT, but for now we prefer to focus on educating our OFWs on the features of the OFW Pass,” she added. But Ople said the traditional form of OEC will not be immediately phased out: “Once it's launched, it will be the digital alternative to the (Overseas Employment Certificate) OEC. The OEC will not be immediately phased out, there will be an overlap of two months.” Ople also noted the advantages of the OFW Pass over the traditional OEC, explaining that it will serve as a digital identification with QR code generated that will provide OFWs a lifetime number once they register. Ople also said that the validity of the digital ID will be contract based unlike the OEC that is only valid for 60 days upon issuance. However, DMW explained that since the OFW Pass  is contract based, OFWs will still have to go to the labor office attache  if they are planning to leave their company or change their job. Ople also cited data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that shows a 3.2 percent increase in dollar remittance flows from January to April 2023 ($10, 487, 040) to that of the same period last year ($10,166, 678). “Foregoing the P100 per OEC charge was an easy decision to make given the enormous and consistent contributions of our OFWs to the country’s economic growth and the sustenance of their families,” she said. Ople also assured that the data that will be collected during registration on its mobile application will be safe as the department is collaborating with other government departments to ensure no personal information will be leaked. Ople said that there is still no date for the Phase two of the mobile application, however she noted that the department is already contacting several airlines to eliminate the travel tax and terminal fees of OFW. She said the application will also have a feature to redirect to other government websites Geo tagging is also a possible feature for the application as requested by the President. (With Nicole Magmanlac)