The Bureau of Immigration (BI) issued a warning on Wednesday regarding the proliferation of fake overseas employment certificates (OECs) being sold online. This alert follows the recent interception of two Filipino travelers at airports with counterfeit documents.
An OEC is a mandatory document for all Filipinos departing the country for employment abroad. It serves as an exit clearance, exempting holders from paying travel tax and airport terminal fees.
The first incident involved a 49-year-old woman who attempted to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates at Clark International Airport on May 24. According to the BI, the woman, a former overseas Filipino worker, had purchased her fake OEC via WhatsApp for P7,200.
In a separate case on May 26, a 25-year-old woman was stopped at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 while trying to depart for Kuwait. She had obtained her fraudulent OEC from a Facebook account named “OEC Appointment,” paying P500 for the document.
The BI emphasized that the sale of fake documents for the illegal departure of workers can be classified as human trafficking. “We have a data-sharing agreement with the DMW [Department of Migrant Workers], allowing us to instantly check in the database if these certificates are legitimate,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco. “Aspiring OFWs should not buy their permits online as this is a scam. Always ensure that you go through legal means when departing as workers.”
The BI advised that the OEC can be securely obtained through the DMW’s online portal.