Overseas Filipino workers or OFWs in Oman who were blackmailed by their employers for issuance of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) should report to the authorities.

An official from the Ministry of Manpower said that anyone exchanging NOCs for anything is clearly breaking the law.

Some workers are told to pay their own air fares to get their NOCs, while others are charged fees for obtaining the needed document.  It is stated in the job contract that the company will provide the ticket back home for a leaving OFW. There should also be no charge imposed on the employee for the NOC.  A clause in every contract that employers can’t violate.

Employers or companies who will violate this should be reported by workers. For OFWs, they can seek assistance from the Philippine Embassy or Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).

It was in 2014 when Oman implemented a two-year visa change ban for expatriates like OFWs. This means that an OFW must acquire first an NOC from their present employer if they wish to join another company in Oman or if they are to leave the country.

The rule was enforced to stop OFWs from transferring to other jobs and joining competitors.