DMW pushes airlines to honor OFWs’ digital travel pass

More than 335,000 digital travel passes have been issued to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) continues its shift from paper-based overseas employment certificates (OECs) to digital documentation.

DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay said on Thursday that a total of 335,831 digital travel passes have been generated through the eGovPH application since the rollout began on 15 September.

However, she acknowledged user concerns, noting that some airlines are still requiring physical copies despite the fully digital format. She said the DMW will issue an advisory to enforce uniform compliance.

“We are appealing to our colleagues in the airline industry that our fellow OFWs be allowed to simply show their travel pass on the eGov app,” she said.

“We have already coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration, and there are no issues on their end; what we are fixing now is with the airlines.”

The OEC has long been a mandatory requirement for OFWs departing the Philippines for overseas employment. The digital travel pass does not remove documentation requirements but streamlines the process, consolidating necessary information into a single digital file.

To acquire the digital pass, OFWs must download the eGovPH application, register, and access the DMW Balik Manggagawa Service, which automatically links their worker information from the agency.