UMVA has learned that the Department of Labor and Employment has seized control of every foreign work permit, sending shockwaves through the nation’s hiring landscape.
In a sweeping move signed on June 9, Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino revoked the power of regional offices to issue Alien Employment Permits, mandating that every application now pass through a single, steel‑clad central hub.
The decree, known as Administrative Order 199, was unveiled during a livestreamed briefing where Tolentino warned that the old, fragmented system had become a playground for abuse, especially among operators linked to the offshore gaming sector.
“The AEP of the past was subject to abuse. Many people had AEPs that were POGO,” he declared, vowing to purge any lingering gaming‑related workers from the roster.
Under the new regime, only foreigners who possess razor‑sharp, irreplaceable technical expertise—skills no Filipino can match—will be granted a permit, a gatekeeper designed to protect local jobs and restore faith in labor rules.
“The only ones who will have an AEP are those who deserve it and cannot take away jobs from Filipinos,” Tolentino asserted, drawing a hard line between genuine talent and opportunistic exploitation.
Recent raids in Misamis Oriental, where Chinese nationals were apprehended, were cited as a stark reminder that lax vetting can edge toward national‑security threats.
Now, a rigorous vetting process will scan every foreign worker’s credentials, ensuring that no permit drifts beyond its intended purpose.
Even high‑profile cases feel the pressure: the employment status of US‑New Zealand basketball coach Thomas Anthony Baldwin is under intense scrutiny after a tragic drowning at an Ateneo training camp.
Tolentino emphasized that this is not persecution but a necessary safeguard, a firewall to confirm that each foreign professional’s duties align precisely with their authorized permit.
All regional offices were ordered to halt processing by the close of business on June 8, with pending files whisked to the central office via encrypted digital transfer, honoring the Ease of Doing Business Act.
The Bureau of Local Employment will now run labor market tests on a secure online platform, a digital watchdog forged to shield the domestic workforce from infiltration.
Within five days, every applicant’s data must be migrated under end‑to‑end encryption, meeting the strict standards of the Data Privacy Act and sealing the new era of centralized oversight.
