The Philippine Embassy in Vientiane would like to remind unregistered direct-hire Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are already in Laos or are still in the Philippines, to ensure that documentary requirements for the authentication of employment contracts are complete and are in accordance with relevant Philippine regulations.
As stated in Section III-B of POEA Memorandum Circular 08 Series of 2018 dated 26 April 2018, authenticated employment contracts shall contain the following minimum provisions for all direct-hire OFWs:
- Complete name and address of the employer/company
- Position and jobsite of the OFW
- Basic monthly salary, including benefits and allowances and mode of payment. The salary shall not be lower than the prescribed minimum wage in the host country or prevailing minimum wage in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, whichever is higher
- Food and accommodation or the monetary equivalent which shall be commensurate to the cost of living in the host country, or off-setting benefits;
- Commencement and duration of contract
- Free transportation from and back to the point of hire, or off-setting benefits, and free inland transportation at the jobsite of off-setting benefits
- Regular work hours and day off
- Overtime pay for services rendered beyond the regular working hours, rest days and holidays
- Vacation leave and sick leave for every year of service
- Free emergency medical and dental treatment
- Just/valid/authorized causes for termination of the contract or of the services of the workers, taking into consideration the customs, traditions, norms, mores, practices, company policies and the labor laws and social legislations of the host country
- Settlement of disputes
- Repatriation of worker in case of imminent danger due to war, calamity, and other analogous circumstances at the expense of employer
- In case of worker’s death, repatriation of OFW’s human remains and personal belongings at the expense of the employer
Please visit https://bit.ly/POEAMC2018 to see the entire POEA MC 08-2018.
For the review of employment contracts, it is advised that copies of the requirements for authentication be submitted to the Embassy:
- one (1) month before the date of departure from Laos for those traveling to the Philippines
- one (1) month before the intended date of employment for those still in the Philippines
Copies may be sent to the Embassy's Consular Section, either in person at the Embassy during hours of operations or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The contracts should be reviewed first by the Embassy before these are verified/stamped by relevant Lao government offices (i.e., Ministry of Justice, People’s Supreme Court, Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc.).
To view the list of requirements and procedures for authentication, please visit: bit.ly/VPEAuthenticationEC.
