Bandar Seri Begawan - In anticipation of the coming Christmas holidays, Filipino nationals are advised to come to the Philippine Embassy to complete as early as possible consular and labour documents, the embassy said yesterday.

"We expect a large number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be returning home for the holidays. We urge them to ensure that all their travel documents are in order. People should ensure that their passports are still valid for their expected travel to the Philippines," said Ambassador Alexander B Yano.

"Because of the number of Philippine holidays in December, the normal one month waiting period for the issuance of Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) may extend to one and a half months.

"For returning OFWs (Balik Manggagawa), they should apply for their Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) at the embassy at least three days before their scheduled departure date to avoid the rush. OECs have a validity of 60 days from the time of their issuance.

"Returning OFWs must ensure to have the required multiple re-entry visas from Brunei Immigration officials," he said.

He reminded Filipinos of existing labour regulations governing the hiring of foreign workers in Brunei.

"Filipino workers cannot obtain their employment visas in Brunei Darussalam; these can only be obtained from the Brunei High Commission in Manila, and only after following proper procedures and processing the necessary documentation," he said.

He cited Republic Act No 9208 otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, which clearly defines the Philippine government's efforts in combating the trafficking of persons.

"People should be aware of regulations and the consequences of their actions, as they may be unwittingly violating the law," he said. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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