It has been observed that certain recruitment and manning agencies maintain a company policy of requiring their applicants to first obtain a POEA Watchlist Clearance before their application for employment may be considered or acted upon. In the process, the applicants who are otherwise qualified who can present the basic application requirements and who are not on POEA watchlist on account of disciplinary action, pending Warrant of Arrest or Hold Order issued by a competent court, are forced to seek POEA clearance in compliance with such company policy. This practice creates additional burden to the applicants and results in undue and wasteful workload on the part of the POEA bearing in mind that under existing procedures, watchlisted workers are screened out at the contract processing stage.

In view thereof all recruitment and manning agencies are hereby advised to refrain from the said practice. The watchlist however will be made available at our Adjudication Office for reference to all representatives of recruitment and manning agencies who would wish to pre-screen their applicants. Only those workers whose name appear in the watchlist should be required to secure a clearance.

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 21 Mar. 1995

(SGD.) FELICISIMO O. JOSON, JR.
Administrator