PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija -- Ma. Luz Pangilinan, 42, of Laur town, this province is among the overseas Filipino workers who first experienced the convenience of processing documents through the newly-opened One-Stop Service Center for OFWs (OSSCO) here.
"It is quick in terms of travel and time,” said Pangilinan who came here to renew her passport for her Chile trip.
It was the second time she renewed her travel document. The first time was at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila.
Pangilinan was among the early birds to process their overseas documents at the new OSSCO where the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and other participating agencies set up their offices at the state-of–the-art Palayan City Business Hub.
Other agencies sharing the fully air-conditioned space with POEA are the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Statistics Authority, Professional Regulation Commission, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprises Authority, Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Bureau of Investigation, PhilHealth, Bureau of Immigration, Social Security System, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Foreign Affairs, TESDA and the Maritime Industry Authority.
Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas said that aside from the convenience of transacting with government agencies, OSSCO is seen to fast track processing of documents for overseas workers.
Putting up of more government offices in the four-storey building, she said, would also declog Metro Manila.
Governor Czarina Umali said that as of last year, there are approximately 60,000 documented OFWs from Nueva Ecija.
A help desk established by the provincial government, she said, has facilitated the safe return of at least 10 abused or distressed OFWs per month, mostly from the Middle East.
"We owe a lot from our modern-day heroes. That’s why we are trying to give back through care and concern,” Umali said.
Isaac David, chair of the Alloy MTD which developed the Palayan City Business Hub, said the reduced time travel in traveling to and from Metro Manila will translate into great productivity. (PNA)
