Overseas Workers Welfare Administration(OWWA)

May 22, 2023 Dear Ms. Loren Cristobal, Greetings! Thank you for your request dated May 21, 2023 05:25:22 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch for a certification that an OFW is classified as Distressed Worker. Ms. Cristobal be correctly informed that eFOI portal was designed to respond to to access of information of public interest. Hence, requesting for individual and personal information about a specific person/ofw is not allowed. You are already on the right track but the eFOI portal is not the correct means. The assistance given by the OWWA to you is subject to the process or system. You only have to be patient since there is the procedure of verification and validation which is done by the Philippine Embassy at Saudi Arabia. Remember that we have to abide by the laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and get clearance from their government on crimes/immigration/employment violation and health clearances. If the OFW is cleared, then the Philippine Embassy requests the cancellation of the visa of the ofw and approval to leave the country. If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing the OWWA- FOI Decision Makers at email: [email protected]. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response and should be made within FIFTEEN (15) calendar days from the date you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within THIRTY (30) calendar days from the date we received your review request. However, if you are still not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011). Thank you. Respectfully, EMMA V. SINCLAIR Deputy Administrator OWWA-FOI Decision Maker