Since President Rodrigo Duterte’s lead, he has been improving a lot of processes and inputs. One of the most recent is the ID cards for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that this is one of the President’s “best” gifts for OFWs. Why? Because having this ID card would allow a lot of processes to be easier, faster, and more efficient. Furthermore, this would give way to better transactions with the government and agencies that handle overseas employment.
Bello said around July of this year: “The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that they will issue guidelines for OFWs for them to have the iDOLE ID card.”
He added that the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) will upload the names of the registered OFWs to the cloud (DOLE cloud) and have it downloaded for printing. “All the unique IDs will be delivered to them, whether they are in the Philippines or overseas,” Bello said.
In addition to that, he also mentioned that this OFW ID will undergo a three-month dry run through the Integrated Department of Labor and Employment (iDOLE). After that pilot, it can then run and serve as the OFW’s Automated Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), immigration, and airport pass.
So how do you get an OFW ID Card (iDOLE)?
As per Secretary Bello, getting an ID is not difficult. Why, you may ask? Because since your name is already in the roster of the official OFWs, DOLE will process this one already; no hassle and time-consuming application is needed. Although most processes are already done online, the steps on getting an iDOLE card would require you to head to the nearest DOLE office in your area. The application of the iDOLE card is not yet available on their website however, we’re of course praying for that to happen because it’ll save a lot of hassle and time.
1. Proceed to the main office of DOLE or any of their DOLE branches. For the list of offices nationwide, you can visit their website.
2. Bring two (2) valid IDs for proof of identity. If you have more IDs, then better. Government IDs are of course considered valid and legitimate; present them if you have. Bring your OEC or Overseas Employment Certificate; this will show as proof that it’s your first time getting the iDOLE ID.
3. Approach the person-in-charge or the POC for the application when you reach the DOLE office. You may ask the guards or employees there on where you should proceed.
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