Facade of the Department of Labor and Employment-Region 12 compound in Koronadal City. (PNA GenSan file photo)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 12 is pushing for the offering of more online transactions in its flagship One-Stop Service Center for Overseas Filipino Workers (OSSCO) in Koronadal City.
Arlene Bisnon, DOLE-Region 12 assistant director, said they are currently working with partner agencies to shift more services online to cater to more clients amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Bisnon said the agency will initially launch within this month an online referral system to facilitate the proper handling of transactions received at OSSCO.
“The system will capture all requests for documents and other related services, and then refer them to the concerned agencies for proper action within 24 hours,” she told reporters.
DOLE-12 relaunched last week the operations of the OSSCO after signing a memorandum of understanding with the local government of Koronadal for the use of space on the fourth floor of the city hall building.
It expanded the services at the facility, which initially opened in 2016, through various national line agencies and units that provide various front-line services to prospective and existing overseas workers.
As of Monday, the agencies situated at the OSSCO are the Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Pag-Ibig Fund, Philippine National Police, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Social Security System, Philippine Statistics Authority, Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation, Commission on Higher Education, and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
Several agencies operating at the facility have already been offering online transactions but the processing of some documents, specifically the OWWA membership and Overseas Employment Certificate from POEA, needs personal appearance.
Other offices such as the PRC and Marina have set up computers at the OSCCO to facilitate the processing of their online transactions.
Raymundo Agravante, DOLE-12 director, assured that they are continually improving their systems to facilitate faster services to their clients.
Agravante said they are making innovations and adjustments to ensure the safety of their employees and clients in the wake of the Covid-19 situation.
“Rest assured that we will continue to expand and render the necessary services to our OFWs and their families,” he said. (PNA)
