This is great news for our Overseas Filipino Workers based in Cebu and nearby provinces, there is now an available OFW one stop shop outside Manila.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) established a center for OFWs which you can find in the Government Express Center in SM City Cebu.
This one-stop centre can accommodate OFW concerns including processing of departure clearance, certification and verification of academic records, getting an SSS number, NBI clearance and more.
Location: Government Express Center, second floor of SM City Cebu, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.
These are the following government offices are stationed in the OFW One Stop Shop Cebu:
- POEA or the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration offers the Balik-Manggagawa (BM) Online Processing, information dissemination on other POEA programs and services.
**Returning OFWs and seafaerers can walk-in to process passport renewal in DFA branches. First time OFWs are still required to get appointment to process passport.
2. TESDA or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will provide assistance for onsite processing of applications for renewal of National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of Competency (COC).
TESDA will also be disseminating Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, the TESDA officer can also and answer inquiries regarding Technical and Vocational Institutions (TVIs); Accredited Assessment Centers; and online Training Programs.
3. BI or the Bureau of Immigration will be able to answer and accommodate inquiries about overseas employment concerns and also in issuing departure clearance.
4. OWWA or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will offer OWWA membership processing and accommodate inquiries on their programs and services.
5. HDMI Pag-IBIG will be able to assist in facilitating membership registration and membership verification.
6. PSA or the Philippine Statistics Authoritywill accept requests for and facilitate issuances of certificates on Birth, Death, Marriage, and Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) in security paper.
7. MARINA or the Maritime Industry Authority will issue Seafarers’ Identification and Record Book (SIRB).
8. NBI or the National Bureau of Investigation will process NBI clearance for travel abroad purposes only.
9. CHED or the Commission on Higher Education will attend to requests for Certification, Authentication, and Verification (CAV) of academic records and documents.
10. PRC or the Professional Regulation Commission will be able to process applications for Board Examinations; initial registration for new Board Examinations passers and Professional Identification Cards renewals.
11. SSS or the Social Security System will offer issuances of SSS number, accept employers’ reports of newly hired and additional employees, request for corrections, updating of members’ and employers’ data record, salary loans, maternity notification and reimbursements, screening and enrolment of UMID applications.
SSS will also accommodate inquiries regarding membership, contributions, loans, benefits; and identification card status forms.
12. TIEZA or the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority will provide Tax Exemption Certificate (TEC) and Reduced Travel Tax Certificate, receive Travel Tax Payments; process Travel Tax Refund and queries on Travel Tax.
This one-stop shop for OFWs in Cebu will operate beginning October 7 2016, which means you can begin transacting with these various government offices tomorrow. The first such center was established by DFA in POEA main in Ortigas.
DFA will soon establish other one-stop shop centers for Overseas Filipino workers in various regions. Watch out for the openings of this OFW centres in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
As of December 2016 POEA now have 10 branches of OSSCO. Check out the OSSCO list of locations.
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