The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) – Regional Welfare Office XI conducted 232 sessions of the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) where 5,064 trainees completed the training from January to November 2019. Participants were departing workers bound for Middle East and non – Middle East countries.
PDOS is a whole-day orientation to OFWs consisting of modules on employment contract, country of destination, stages of the OFW’s life abroad, health and safety, financial literacy, travel tips and airport procedures, and government programs and services. It is a mandatory training for all departing migrant workers aimed to prepare them for their new life overseas. This will be attended by all workers (all skills) prior to their deployment abroad.
PDOS Trainer Cristelito Abadilla provided the trainees with substantial inputs in knowing their role as OFWs, salient points of the Standard Employment Contract, the Do’s and Don’ts of country of destination, departure tips and safety awareness, financial literacy, and stress management.
Among the participants who completed the training were Zenaida Sigayan and Annaliza Lopez, both departing for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will serve as domestic workers. According to them, attending the PDOS is very helpful to them because they were able to learn the do’s and don’ts of the Middle East as well as their rights being domestic workers.
The schedule of PDOS for skilled workers bound for Middle East Countries is every Monday, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon while for non-Middle East countries is from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. For domestic workers, schedule of the training is every Tuesday at 8:00 am to 5:00 pm except for those bound for KSA and Hongkong. For Direct-hired applicants, they must have referral from POEA, copy of verified employment contract, working visa, valid passport (2nd page), and filled-out registration form with 2×2 picture.
For Agency-hired applicants, the following should be submitted: referral/endorsement from the agency, copy of verified employment contract (original and photocopy), working visa (original and photocopy), copy of passport (2nd page – original and photocopy), and filled-out registration form with 2×2 picture. (OWWA XI)
