According to Khaleej Times, the Philippines' Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai has put on hold plans to introduce new requirements for Filipino expats' UAE contract verification process.
The Filipino public was stiffly opposed to the changes in the policy, which were supposed to take effect on February 1. Labour Attaché John Rio A. Bautista — who heads the MWO mission in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (formerly Philippine Overseas Labour Office or Polo) — confirmed that the shift won’t be implemented on Wednesday.
“Our aim was not to trouble people,” Bautista said. “However, we have noticed an increased number of contracts where there are discrepancies. That is why the Philippine government decided to bring in new requirements for contract verification.”
He gave the example of Filipina M.M. who has worked as a domestic worker for a few years in the country. “This year, her contract has come for verification, (and her papers indicated that) she is a store manager,” he said. “Obviously when we see something like this, we have to dig deeper and ask for additional documents.”
The MWO must verify Filipinos' work contracts in the UAE. Currently, the requirements are as follows:
- Valid employment contract
- Passport
- Visa/ Emirates ID
- Any proof of current employment
According to Bautista, the new rules require only a valid employment contract, passport, and visa when they are implemented.
“If there are any discrepancies in the documents or we need to dig deeper, we can request any additional documents - including the company's trade license and wage protection system record.”
Filipinos in the country have four options for requesting contract verification: appointments, online submissions, walk-ins, and authorized representatives.
It is possible to book an appointment and appear in person for verification or submit an application online. Every week, there are 500 slots for online verification.
Anyone can walk into the MWO office (formerly known as the Polo office) for swift verification in case of an emergency. “They just need to present proof that they have a plane ticket for the following day and we will arrange for their documentation to be done quickly,” said Bautista.
If you are in the Philippines, but have received an offer to work in the UAE, you can verify your contract with a friend or family member who lives there. The authorised representative should go in person to the MWO/Polo office for the service.