MANILA—The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted a 47-year-old woman attempting to leave the country using a fraudulent Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), prompting renewed warnings against the use of fixers and fake documents.

The passenger was stopped at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on July 19 while preparing to board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Riyadh. BI officers under the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) acted after airport personnel flagged her suspicious movements.

Initial checks revealed the woman’s name did not appear in the BI-Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) joint system. A secondary inspection with DMW officials later confirmed that the OEC she presented was issued to another person. She later admitted to paying P2,010.00 to a fixer via cash bank transfer for so-called ‘OEC assistance’. No valid OEC under her name was found in the system.

In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to bolster protections for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the BI and DMW have been tightening exit protocols and enhancing data sharing to prevent illegal deployment and human trafficking.

“Shortcuts do not work anymore. Our systems are now linked with the DMW, and fake documents can easily be detected. Anyone who attempts to bypass legal procedures not only risks being stopped, but may also face legal consequences,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

“We urge aspiring overseas workers to process documents only through the DMW,” he added.

The case has been referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for appropriate handling.

The BI continues to caution Filipinos against online fixers or unauthorized individuals offering document ‘assistance’ in exchange for payment.