MANILA — The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) clarified Wednesday which overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can be considered as "Balik Manggagawa."
POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said Balik Manggagawa are OFWs who have worked in other countries under a foreign employer.
Olalia made the clarification after OFWs working for foreign employers under a work-from-home setup have attempted to secure documents through Balik Manggagawa processing centers.
"Gusto nilang mag-apply sa POEA for the first time as Balik Manggagawa dahil ang kanilang sinasabi, 'Isang taon na akong work from home.. gusto ko nang umalis kaya mag-aapply na ako,'" Olalia said in a virtual press conference.
(They want to apply with the POEA for the first time as Balik Manggagawa, saying, 'I've been working from home for a year... I want to leave the country that's why I'm applying.')
"'Di pa sila qualified dahil 'di pa sila umaalis at di pa sila na de-deploy," he added.
(They aren't qualified because they haven't left the country and haven't been deployed.)
— Report from Jasmin Romero, ABS-CBN News
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