OEC Processing Part 1: Contract Verification to POLO

Note: This process applies to direct-hires. The processing of OEC may vary if the applicant comes from an agency.

Just when you think that you already have your working visa to the US and the American dream is within your reach, I tell you, it’s not yet over. Since we consider ourselves as an Overseas Filipino Worker, there is a law in the Philippines that we need to secure an exit pass or what we call as Overseas Employment Certificate to be permitted to fly outside the country.

Obtaining an OEC isn’t easy for a first time OFW especially if the applicant is direct-hired. One has to submit several papers in order to be a documented OFW. One of the requirements is a POLO-verified employment contract. Take note, the contract should be checked by Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).

At first, I was having difficulties in explaining this matter to my employer since they know nothing about this policy. In addition to that, this is their first time of hiring a Filipino. They expect that after securing a visa, the worker may fly to the worksite and can start the employment.

After several researches and helping my employer on how to send the contract to POLO, they coordinated with POLO located in Washington DC to get this started as soon as possible.

Of course, the employment contract and some documents must be sent to POLO. Here are the following:

1.       Employment Contract

·         Read the contract first before signing

·         Should contain all the provisions required by POLO including sick leave, vacation leave, repatriation etc.

·         All pages signed both by employer and employee

2.       Employee’s photocopy of passport (biographic page)

3.       Employee’s photocopy of working visa

4.       Business registration/ license of the employer

5.       Identification of Employer or Company Representative

6.       Compliance letter to POLO (a format to be filled out by the employer)

Just keep updated with your employer on this process. In our case, it took us a month before we receive the verified contract via FEDEX. You will be given a tracking number to check the status of your mail. Once a contract has been checked by POLO, there will be stamps on each document. 

When I received the contract, I immediately gathered all my Phase 1 requirements and went to POEA Region 7 to start my OEC processing.

I hope this helps…

To be continued. Read next, Phase 1 and Phase 2 Requirements to POEA.

Bye, Bye Wisdom Teeth!

This year, I lost my 3 teeth. I couldn’t sleep at night because of the terrible toothache. This is what I’m afraid of and it finally came! When I examined my mouth, there were noticeable decay on both of my wisdom teeth so after a week, I decided to go to the dentist. I had it extracted because I couldn’t bear the excruciating pain anymore.

My experience

Before the dentist recommended for tooth surgery or the odontectomy, he suggested that I need to undergo panoramic X-ray first and let him examine the position of my third molars. So using my health insurance, I had requested for a panoramic X-ray, got my result within the day, and submitted to doc right away.

As he examined, both of my wisdom teeth were impacted and the dentist said that I should take an action quickly or else, the pain will still persist. To someone who has suffered the pain for a week, I told him that I’m prepared to have these impacted teeth extracted all at once but he said that I may not tolerate the post-operative pain. So, I just agreed to his advice to extract the right wisdom tooth first then the other one in the following week.   

During the surgery of my right wisdom tooth, I kept myself strong. I need to be brave for this. The dentist was so considerate to explain to me the whole procedure and he told me that there’s no need to worry about the numbness since it only means that the local anesthesia is already working. I really commend Doc for being so caring throughout the procedure. He always asked me if I’m alright. He kept on reminding me to raise my hand if I feel pain as he carefully remove the impacted tooth. Even though I heard some awkward sounds of slicing and drilling of my tooth but I just closed my eyes and relaxed. I need not to worry because I’m in the good hands.

The extraction was done after an hour when Doc finally got the root. He told me that the extraction was successful. I looked at my tooth but it was broken into pieces because as Doc explains, the decayed tooth was already brittle. After that, he put collagen foam to the extracted area and started to stitch the incised gum to accelerate the healing. Medications such as mefenamic acid (to ease the pain), amoxicillin (an antibiotic to prevent infection), and tranexamic acid (to stop bleeding) were prescribed.

After that week, I went back to the dental clinic to remove the stitch made from the previous extraction and to proceed to the next impacted tooth. Although the gum was slightly inflamed but he said it’s just normal. The same procedure was done to my left wisdom tooth but this time, he needed to extract the upper tooth opposite to the lower impacted tooth to avoid supraeruption. It might cause problems in the future if the upper tooth is not extracted. Just like the previous one, I needed to be stronger because this is the only way I could get rid of this, for once and for all.

At last, Doc was able to get the impacted tooth and it took only 10 minutes to get the upper tooth opposite to it. After that, the operation was successful once again. I went to the nearest ice cream parlor to give me and my gums a treat!

POST-OPERATION EXPERIENCE

The doctor didn’t fail to remind me some of the post-operative instructions that I need to do after the extraction. For an hour, the anesthetized area was still numb. Just as when I was about to think the suffering was over, I had problems in eating. How would I suppose to use the un-operated side when both sides were affected? With the stitches on and gums started to inflame a little bit, I couldn’t eat rice or hard foods so I chose to eat oats the whole week. I couldn’t even use a straw for drinking. Also, both of my cheeks swelled as well. I applied ice packs in the morning and in the evening. I didn’t lift heavier objects in order not to stress myself and I took the medications prescribed.

My swollen cheeks started to heal 

One thing that I learned from this experience is that, we need to take an action before things get worse. If I had tolerated the pain much longer, it could have complicated the operation. When the stitch was removed on the left extracted area, I couldn’t express the relief. My gums started to heal and I started to eat rice once again. Since then, I realized that I need to take extra care for my teeth by limiting sweets and start flossing. Even though I spent a considerable amount of money in removing my wisdom teeth but the comfort that it gave me didn’t cost a thing. It was priceless.

My deepest gratitude to my dentist, Dr. Fred Yap for doing such a wonderful job! During the surgery, I never felt pain and he made things easier for me by explaining the steps. I learned so much from my condition. I have put an end to my suffering, finally!

Seniors Day-out 2020 at Palanas By The Sea, Boljoon!

Yes! The day that we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived! At last, this is our day to relax a bit, unwind from the busy labworks, and strengthen our camaraderie as we had our overnight stay at Palanas By the Sea, Boljoon, Cebu.

Impossible it may seem but we managed to plot our schedules where everyone can join and be part of this much-awaited reward from our back-to-back victory of the last year’s Christmas party.

On February 22, 2020, Saturday, the beautiful weather paved way for our journey. I was so sorry I came late due to personal matters. Peace, guys! 

 It took us approximately 3 hours to reach Boljoon...

HIGHLIGHTS!

Venue

This is the perfect getaway destination for the group. When we reached the place, it was so breathtaking and relaxing! It met my expectations and I do agree that it was a great fit for us.

Our room 'Nautilus' was spacious enough and the sixteen of us got accommodated with their cozy beds! I was amazed with the amenities, there's a fridge to store our cakes and drinks and a microwave to heat the leftovers. The shower/changing rooms are plenty as well.

At nighttime, I was awe-struck with the brightly colored table and seats while we had our sumptuous dinner. It added to the beauty of our outdoor dining.

Picture-taking galore

We didn't miss the opportunity to take group pics to every picture-worthy corners of the resort. Thanks to the lovely cameras our colleagues have, we got to have wonderful shots taken at various angles!

The common dining area has these lovely white flowers hanging at the top. Perfect for pictures as well! They are simply amazing! 

Games

In the afternoon, everyone had a great time participating in the Charades game facilitated by Sir Bryan and Miss Love. It was full of laughter as each one of us tried to portray what is written on the rolled paper (may it be related in the lab or just current events). We were trying to act as best as we could for our teammates to figure it out.

In the easy round, Group 1 composed of me, Miss Shine, Miss Nikki, Miss Mia, Jolie, Abby, and Carine scored more but the tables have turned in the difficult round.

I thought we were losing as we were way behind the Group 2 spearheaded with energetic Miss Arbee and members, Sir Carl, Sir Louie, Ate Charlyn, Maimai, Kristel, and Jupit. We suddenly back to the game when miraculously, Carine guessed ‘Metamorphoses’ worth 10 points! We were declared winners as we got the tie-breaker question right 'EDSA People Power' reenacted by Sir Bryan himself. We shouted for joy as we got the prize: we were free to choose our favorite Krispy Kreme flavor! Yum! J

Pool                                       

Who wouldn't be enchanted to take a dip into their infinity pool? Honestly, I was happy it was not a chlorinated pool water but rather a sea water so I enjoyed plunging with my momshies as we played games to enjoy the spree! Hmm... it was refreshing really.

Food

I couldn’t be any happier as we decided that the majority of our winnings would be allocated for the food. Honestly, I was stuffed the whole time munching the junk foods!

During lunch, we enjoyed the juicy lechon baboy and manok with the bigger puso or hanging rice bought in Carcar. The delectable cakes courtesy by Miss Love were our dessert.

Dinnertime came and sumptuous foods were ordered in their restaurant to satisfy our cravings. All of us had happy bellies despite of the spicy foods we ate.

Tagay time

The time came when we decided to start our ‘drinking sessions’ so Smirnoffs and San Mig came out of the picture and each of us had sound conversations. I really enjoyed Sir Bryan’s game called the King’s Cup where almost everyone had their share of shots. Jupit was so unlucky to have drank the King’s cup filled with a quarter of Smirnoff, a little bit of San Mig and melted cheetos. Well, that’s just better than mixed with dirty stuffs, right? haha.

Missing-In-Action

It was too bad Sir Donnie couldn’t join us as he would be flying to the US. So, we set up a video chat for him and wished him to have a safe flight. Miss Stella and Miss Maye, on the other hand, had also other appointments.

Late night debates

The night grew darker and some went off to bed while others including me opted to stay and talk about debatable issues such as divorce and abortion. Smirnoff ain't a strong drink, so I still have my sanity intact. I remembered I was always on the opposing side while Sir Bryan, Sir Lou and Miss Mia expressed their side of the matter.

Back to reality

The next morning, I woke up without any hangover. We just prepared our things as we would head back to the city. Unlike our way to Boljoon where everyone was lively, the van was filled with dead air brought from exhaustion as my senti playlist were played all throughout the ride.

I wish it was longer...

Even though this is my last day-out with the seniors but this will have an etch in my heart. I still can't believe I was once part of this dynamic team and considered a member of the family. I may seem to be a little shy to some of them but I would like to give thanks for the proper guidance and nice treatment when I was a just a junior. Thank you for believing in my talent guys. This is one for the books, indeed! 

My US Embassy Interview Experience: How did I get my H1B working visa approved?

My face after the interview😂

In the start of 2020, I prepared myself for a wonderful step that I’m gonna take towards my American Dream and that is going to get my US Working visa.

With my H1B petition approved and the Notice of Action in hand, I was so much ready to book my appointment at the embassy. I immediately completed my DS160 online application and paid the appointment fee of 10160 pesos to the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

My scheduled appointment was on January 17, 2020. I gathered all my documents in case they want to see it. Since I was not familiar in Manila, I asked my father to accompany me. We stayed at Uncle Jimmy’s place in Pasay.

We woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning to prepare. I wore a casual outfit: it was a dark blue dress and I paired it with a black blazer.

I was scheduled at 9AM. Uncle Jimmy accompanied us to the embassy by taking a jeep and a tricycle. We arrived at around 8am so we stood there waiting at the vicinity. While waiting, I kept calm and recited a silent prayer. I told my father that I will do my best to get approved.

The time came when we can now enter the premises. I left my father behind and I brought my documents with me. I submitted myself to security checks and seated at the waiting area until we were called to enter the building. There were personnel/ushers to assist you at the entrance so I went straight away to Step 1 in which my passport and Form I-129 were checked, then I proceeded to Step 2 for finger scanning, then came step 3 in which I felt nervous, the interview with an embassy officer.

There were many interview cubicles and again a personnel will tell you which cubicle you should go so you can’t choose an interviewer. We were in queue and as I waited for my turn, I heard questions asked by officers to other applicants. You would know right away if the applicant is approved or denied after so much interrogation. I felt so sad for those people who didn’t get the visa. When my turn came, I greeted the officer good morning. She’s in her fifties I suppose. There was an exchange of questions and answers. She just asked me few questions about my job, my years of experience as a medical technologist, and my workplace in the US. She checked my Labor Condition Applicaton or LCA as well. After that, she gave me a pamphlet of USCIS and said ‘Okay, I intend to approve your visa!’

Upon hearing those words, a smile was formed on my face. This is it! I got approved! Thank heavens!

Before the officer got my passport, I needed to pay the newly implemented reciprocity fee of 540 USD or approximate 26000 pesos. Kinda pricy but they won’t take your passport for stamping if you woudn’t pay for it. I went to the cashier located at the second floor and returned to the officer to give my receipt. That’s the time she congratulated me and advised it would take one week for my passport to be delivered in Cebu.

I went out of the embassy to see my father. My heart was so excited to tell him. As I saw him waiting outside, I felt like crying but I just held back my tears and told him the wonderful news. We went back to Uncle Jimmy’s place to celebrate.

That was it! I got my passport back after one week. I realized that as long as you know all about your employer and you bring all the necessary documents relating to your H1B application, there wouldn’t be any problems in applying for the visa. Also, keeping a composure and confidence in answering the officer will help.

Another milestone has achieved, now I’m getting closer to my dream. Up next, my contract verification to POLO !

Drug Analyst Tagging Requirements

When I applied for a drug analyst position in an LTO-accredited, freestanding-based, drug testing facility in Mandaue City, I was asked to submit a couple of requirements for tagging.

A drug analyst must be tagged by the Deparment of Health to have an IDTOMIS account. The IDTOMIS (Integrated Drug Testing Operations Management Information System) is a software where you verify the client/donor’s information, take a photo and fingerprint then finally release the drug test result. You only have 1 account registered for 1 facility.

Here are the primary requirements:

1.       Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) license photocopy

2.       DOH-issued training certificate - Seminar/Workshop on the Manual of Operations for Screening Drug Testing Laboratories

3.       Email Address

4.       Resignation letter from precious employer (I used to work as a drug analyst in an institution-based facility. This is useful so that you’ll be untagged from the previous facility.)

5.       Drug Test Result – I had my drug testing in another drug-testing lab to avoid bias.

6.       Medical Certificate – they required a Government-issued med cert so I went to Cebu City Health Office to ask for the medical certificate.  I brought my CBC, Urinalysis, Fecalysis and X-ray result.

7.       2x2 ID picture – for employee profiling

On the employer’s end, they will submit a letter to be addressed to Department of Health together with the credentials asking for the tagging of the drug analyst. The approval may take as early as one week. Once approved, the drug analyst must submit to the Deparment of Health Regional Office- IT Deparment for confirmation and fingerprint scanning. You’ll be given your USERNAME and PASSWORD so make sure you take these correctly.

The tagging is as simple as that. Welcome to the world of drug testing!

Drug Testing 101: Observe Specimen Collection for Urine

Drug Testing 101: Observe Specimen Collection for Urine

Before we proceed to the steps, it is essential for the Authorized Specimen Collector to be oriented on the procedures to ensure proper specimen collection. He/She must be vigilant to minimize the risk of tampering the urine specimen.

1.       Prepare and secure collection site and supplies

a.       Make sure the waterless urinal is clean. 

2.       Verify donor identification

3.       Explain the basic collection procedure

a.       Instruct the donor to remove all unnecessary outer garments and put it in a secure tray or locker in the collection site. Perform bodily search.

4.       Verify donor’s ID

5.       Label the specimen bottle legibly

6.       Fill up Step 1 of CCF

7.       Pay close attention to collection

a.       Observe one collection at a time

b.      Check the volume and inspect physical characteristics

c.       Fill Step 2 and initiates Step 3 of CCF

8.       Let the donor wash hands thoroughly

9.       Close and apply seal over the lid bottle in front of the donor

a.       Sign over seal indicate collection date and time

b.      Ask the donor to fill up and sign step 5 of the CCF

Reference:

Seminar/Workshop on the Manual of Operations for Screening Drug Testing Laboratories Lecture Handouts 2016

DRUGTESTING 101: What to do when there's no Collector or Head of Laboratory shown in Specimen Collection or Initial screening

Can't see the ASC or Head of Lab's name when you reach the specimen collection or initial screening part? This is usually the case when IDTOMIS is reset or when it has a new accreditation number.

Here are the steps to resolve the matter:

1. Make sure you are connected ONLINE. Kindly log in authorized specimen collector's (ASC) account by inputting his username and password to IDTOMIS. Include accreditation number if asked.
2. Once logged in, the account is renewed. The IDTOMIS can recognize the ASC account.
3. Log out.
4. Go back to Analyst acct.and check if the ASC's name is already in the specimen collection details part.

If the problem persists, ask the IDTOMIS Helpdesk representative.