OFW One-Stop Shop now in Ilocos Norte

By Carlo P. Canares

Thursday 14th of June 2012

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte, June 14 (PIA) -- It is now more convenient for Overseas Filipino Workers in Ilocos Norte to process their documents because of the operations of the provincial OFW One-Stop Shop.

According to Dolores Cortes, desk officer at the OFW One-Stop Shop, OFWs need not travel to San Fernando City in La Union to process their papers at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“Representatives from these offices come here at the One-Stop Shop twice a month to entertain clients. That would save time, effort and money for our OFWs since it takes at least 5 hours to go to San Fernando from Ilocos Norte,” Cortes said.

“Governor Imee Marcos wants it easy and fast for our modern-day heroes to process the necessary papers for their work abroad that is why she created this office,” Cortes said.

Documents are processed at the OFW One-Stop Shop every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.

The One-Stop Shop, however, not only serves OFWs from Ilocos Norte. According to Cortes, there are also OFWs coming from Cagayan and Ilocos Sur provinces who come to the office. “We serve no less than a hundred clients during these days,” Cortes said.

Cortes added that “there are even those who are not OFWs but want to process their papers at the NBI, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig since these offices are also at the One-Stop Shop.”

Also present at the One-Stop Shop are representatives from the National Bureau of Investigation, Philhealth, Pag-ibig, Social Security System, and National Statistics Office.

The OFW One-Stop Shop is located at the second floor of the Provincial Capitol in Laoag City. (JCR/CPC/PIA 1-Ilocos Norte)