Former DILG secretary Benhur Abalos (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The "outdated, inefficient, and unnecessarily burdensome" Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) and contract verification processes must be overhauled.

Thus, said Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Benhur Abalos, as he cited criticisms from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) themselves regarding the OEC process.

During a recent dialogue with OFWs from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, Abalos listened to a flood of complaints from workers about slow appointment systems and long queues in securing these travel documents before returning to their overseas jobs.

Abalos failed to hide his frustration upon hearing the OFWs' feedback. “Nakakainis. Napakasimpleng bagay, pinapahirapan pa (It's frustrating. They're making a very simple thing complicated)."

"I will champion legislation that makes these processes faster," the former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary vowed.

The OEC serves as an exit clearance to ensure OFWs are properly documented and protected. However, many OFWs argue that it now acts more as a barrier than a safeguard.

“We receive countless suggestions from our modern-day heroes. It’s our duty to listen—and to act,” Abalos said.

“It’s disheartening that such a simple requirement is made so complicated. If given the opportunity to serve in the Senate, I will champion legislation that simplifies and accelerates these processes,” he stressed.

Many OFWs said the current process discourages them from visiting their families back home. This results to foregone benefits to local tourism in the Philippines. 

Abalos cited the case of Ralph, a Gulf-based worker, who went as far to says that “Sometimes it’s easier to vacation in other countries than in the Philippines."

"Contract verification alone can take one week to a month just to get an appointment. Then you still have to queue for at least half a day. The OEC is a separate hurdle,” Ralph said.

Currently, many OFWs are forced to spend precious leave days—sometimes unpaid—just to complete these processes, stripping away time they could otherwise spend with their families, said Abalos, citing  OFWs’ experiences.

While online services have been introduced, users continue to report frustratingly limited appointment availability. These inefficiencies, according to Abalos, point to a need for a comprehensive, multi-agency reform.

Abalos said there should be close coordination betweeen (DMW) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), and other related agencies. 

A champion of digitalization in government, Abalos said he will recommend full digital transformation of OEC and contract verification through a user-friendly, streamlined platform and system integration across agencies to eliminate redundant steps

The Senate hopeful also said there should be mandatory maximum processing times for OEC and contract verification issuance.