Dole orders centralized processing of working permits for foreigners

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) on Wednesday announced that the processing and issuance of permits for foreign nationals seeking to work in the country will be fully centralized to improve oversight and ensure uniform enforcement of labor rules.

In a statement, Dole said all of its regional offices have been ordered to immediately stop accepting, processing and evaluating applications for the issuance or renewal of alien employment permits (AEP) under Administrative Order No. 199.

All transactions will now be handled exclusively by the Dole central office in Intramuros, Manila, according to the agency.

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“The directive is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen administrative oversight, enhance regulatory compliance, and ensure greater consistency in implementing policies governing the employment of foreign nationals,” said Dole.

It added that the centralization of the permit processing is part of the agency’s efforts to ensure systems optimization, streamline service delivery, and strengthen the monitoring and auditing of regulatory processes nationwide.

The new directive states that all pending applications for an AEP that were received by a Dole regional office on or before June 8 will be digitally transferred to the central office, which will then assume full responsibility for the evaluation, processing, and disposition of the permit.

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Dole assured that the processing of applications will not be delayed and applicants will not incur penalties given the initiative.

It added that the transfer of applications will “strictly adhere to established data transfer protocols, including end-to-end encryption and verified chain-of-custody documentation,” in order to protect the personal information of applicants. /jpv

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