POEA or the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency is a government agency that is responsible for the benefits of the Philippine’s overseas employment programs. PEOA is connected to DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment). POEA keeps on eyeing the licensing of those employment agencies that are pooling Filipino aplicants to work abroad with the specific placement fees.

PEOA helps in checking for the legitimacy of employment agencies in the country. It is advisable for all Filipinos dreaming to work abroad to check all certain documentations at POEA for legalities before they pursue their plans and pay recruitment fees. This process is important to avoid illegal employment and recruitment agencies.

POEA is ILO certified association. ILO or International Labor Organization stated clear that Filipinos applying to work abroad must not be charged with the recruitment fees. It is under their provisions that POEA should take its stand in controlling the fees charged by the employment agency.

There are plenty of job openings abroad listed at POEA websites that gives easy access for the Filipinos in finding genuine jobs abroad. POEA today is not just for the recruitment of employment abroad but they are also incharged of cutting the fees charges by other employment agencies.

Primary Functions of the POEA              

Industry Regulation

POEA is the one responsible for the issuance of license for overseas recruitment agencies. They hear and mediate cases and complaints filed against the recruitment agency for any reported violations from POEA’s rules apart from monitary claims. The POEA also implement the system of penalty and incentives for private employment sectors. This agency is also responsible for setting minimum standards of labor and they monitor the overseas job prints and advertisements. POEA is reliable on supervising the anti-illegal recruitment program of the government and requires dicipinary actions to erring employment agencies and workers as well.

Facilitation for Employment

POEA is responsible for the registration and accreditation of the foreign employers that are hiring Filipino workers. The agency is responsible for the processing the employment contract and to assist the departing workers to the port of exit. The POE is responsible for providing the system of workers registration.

Trending Employment for Overseas Filipino Workerks:

• Information Technology
• Nurses
• Medical
• Construction Workers
• Maritime
• Welder
• Engineer
• Hotel
• Restaurant
• Domestic Helper
• Service Crew

Ways to Determine Private Employment Agency

• Land-Based Agency – this could be a person licensed by POEA for recruiting workers for any land-based jobs in behalf of the foreign principal.
• Manning Agency – this agency could be a person licensed by the POEA for the recruitment of seafarers practicing international sea lanes or other maritime related jobs.

The licensed employment agency will ensure that Filipino workers that are qualified and medically healthy can be deployed to these jobs. Filipino workers will submit to medical examination from licensed medical clinics that are government accredited.

Capital Requirements of Legal Employment Agency

An employment agency must have P2, 000,000.00 minimum capitals and must be 75% Filipino owner. The agency is required to have a local bank maintaining balance of not less than a half million pesos and P1, 000,000.00 escrow POEA agreement and atleast P1000,000.00 bond.