2017 INTER-AGENCY COUNCIL AGAINST TRAFFICKING

REVISED GUIDELINES ON DEPARTURE FORMALITIES FOR

INTERNATIONAL-BOUND PASSENGERS
Pursuant to the provision of Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Person Act
of 2003), as amended by Republic Act No. 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Peron
Act of 2012), and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations; Republic Act No.
8042, (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995), as amended by Republic
Act No. 10022; and other related laws, the following revised Guidelines On Departure
Formalities For International-Bound Passengers is hereby promulgated by the Inter-
Agency Council Against Trafficking (Council) to further define the parameters of
implementation:

I. TOURIST PASSENGERS

A passenger intending to travel abroad as tourist or with temporary visitor’s visa

shall undergo:

1. Primary Inspection

1.1. The following documents are required to be presented before the

Immigration Officer (IO) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI):
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Visa, whenever applicable or required; and
c) Round-trip or return ticket.

1.2. Clarificatory questions may be propounded by the IO in relation to the

purpose of travel and travel documents presented.

1.3. A passenger identified by the IO to have doubtful purpose of travel,

fraudulent, falsified, or tampered travel documents, or identified as a
potential trafficked person shall not be cleared for departure or
recommended for deferred departure and turned over to the BI-Travel
Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) for secondary inspection.

1.4. A passenger shall be automatically referred for secondary inspection,

whenever it is shown that the passenger:

a) Has no financial capacity to travel and is escorted or accompanied by a

foreign national who is not a relative by consanguinity of affinity up to
the fourth civil degree;

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 b) Filipino spouse/ fiancé(e)/ partner of a foreign national who is travelling
on a tourist visa or status;
c) Is travelling to countries with existing deployment bans, alert level three
and four travel advisories, and is in possession of visas to said countries;
and
d) Had previously stayed abroad for more than six months as a tourist or
temporary visitor, and is intending to depart for the second or
subsequent time.

1.5. A passenger whose departure is deferred during primary inspection or turned

over to the TCEU for secondary inspection shall be required to fill-up the
Border Control Questionnaire (BCQ). The travel documents of the passenger
shall be examined and an interview shall be conducted to determine facts
and circumstances surrounding the passenger/s travel. The primary IO shall
indicate his or her initial assessment in the BCQ.

1.6. A passenger allowed by the primary IO may still be subjected to secondary

inspection as may be necessary.

1.7. Immediate family members of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) travelling as

a tourist shall be allowed without need of secondary inspection, provided
that they establish their relationship within the first civil degree of
consanguinity or affinity (spouse, children, and parents) with the OFW; and
provided further that they present photocopies of the following documents of
the OFW:
a) Valid Passport;
b) Visa when applicable;
c) E-receipt or OEC;
d) Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) certified birth or marriage certificate,
as the case may be; and
e) If passenger is a minor, please refer to 1.9

1.8. Holders of the following visas will be exempt from secondary inspection for
humanitarian purposes as long as said passenger does not have any
derogatory records in the BI:

a) United States of America (USA) "T" visa (victim of human trafficking);

b) USA visa (victim of criminal activities);
c) Australian Visa Subclass 060 Bridging F Visa;
d) Australian visa DH 852 (Referred Stay –Permanent); and
e) Other relevant visa class issued by foreign countries for similar purposes.

1.9. Specific provision for passengers involving children 1:

1
Administrative Order No. 12, Series of 2017. Omnibus Guidelines for Minors Travelling Abroad.

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 a) Travelling with a companion.

i. A minor travelling with both or either parent, whether biological or

adoptive, is NOT required to secure Travel Clearance from the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), provided
they will present the PSA birth certificate and PSA marriage
contract;
ii. A minor travelling with a non-biological parent is required to secure
DSWD’s Travel Clearance;
iii. An illegitimate child travelling with his or her biological mother is
required to present (1) PSA birth certificate; (2) Affidavit of
consent, duly notarized, of the biological father should the latter
shall have officially notified BI that sole and absolute custody is
granted to him through a court order, attaching thereto a certified
true copy of said court order;
iv. An illegitimate child travelling with his or her biological father
requires (1) DSWD’s Travel Clearance, certified and signed by
authorized signatory; (2) the Court Order granting him sole and
absolute custody of the child; or Affidavit of Consent, duly
notarized, of the mother, if the father was not granted sole and
absolute custody of the child;
v. In the event parents are legally separated, divorced, or have had
their marriage annulled, the child travelling with the parent is not
required to present DSWD Travel Clearance if sole and absolute
custody is granted to such parent;
vi. A minor travelling abroad whose parents are in the foreign service
or are living abroad or are immigrants is required to present: (1)
valid pass such as a dependent’s visa/ pass/ identification card or
permanent resident visa/ pass/ identification card which serve as
proof that he or she is living with parents abroad and their travel
does not constitute child trafficking;
vii. No child shall be allowed to travel unless a decree of adoption and
certificate of finality is issued by the court. 2 Copy of such decree,
together with travel clearance, shall be presented by the travelling
minor.

b) Travelling alone

i. A minor travelling alone shall be automatically referred for

secondary inspection;
ii. Minor below 13 years old is absolutely not allowed to travel alone;

2
Pursuant to Sec. 29, IRR – Domestic Adoption Act of 1998.

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 iii. Minor 13 years old and above is required to present DSWD’s Travel
Clearance; and
iv. Minor travelling alone should present certified true copy of
Unaccompanied Minor Certificate from the Airlines.

2. Secondary Inspection

2.1. When deemed necessary, the passengers shall be referred to the TCEU for
secondary inspection, taking into consideration the totality of circumstances,
such as, but not limited to:
a) Age;
b) Educational attainment;
c) Financial capability to travel in accordance with purpose of travel as
declared by the passenger;
d) Travel history; and
e) Country of destination.

2.2. If the passenger is travelling through a sponsor, the following additional

documents shall be required:

a) If the sponsor is a relative: Affidavit of Support and Undertaking duly

authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate, showing:
i. The relationship of the sponsor and the passenger within the fourth
civil degree of consanguinity (e.g. pinsang buo) or affinity (e.g.
bayaw/ hipag/ biyenan);
ii. Financial capacity with legal status of the sponsor; and
iii. Contact information of the sponsor.

b) If the sponsor is non-relative: Affidavit of Support and Undertaking

executed by a person or legal/ juridical entity duly authenticated by the
Philippine Embassy or Consulate showing:
i. Contact Information of the sponsor;
ii. Financial capacity with legal status of the sponsor; and
iii. Registration papers of the sponsor, if a legal or juridical entity.

c) In cases of a local sponsor travelling with the passenger, a duly

notarized Affidavit of Support and Undertaking which shall contain the
following:
i. Financial capacity of the sponsor;
ii. Reason for sponsorship;
iii. Undertaking by the sponsor that the travel is solely for tourism
purposes and the passenger shall return upon completion of the
tour;
iv. Complete address of the sponsor and other contact details; and

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 v. Registration papers, if the local sponsor is a legal or juridical entity
with its duly authorized representative travelling with the
passenger.

2.3. As much as practicable, secondary inspection shall not exceed ten minutes
unless extraordinary circumstances require a longer period of inspection.

2.4. A passenger found to be misrepresenting the purpose of his or her travel as

tourist shall not be cleared for departure.

2.5. If a human trafficking incident has been initially determined, the IO shall not
clear the passenger for departure and shall execute an Affidavit of Deferred
Departure. The passenger, whose departure is deferred, and all his or her
pertinent documents, including the passport, shall be turned over to the
IACAT Anti-trafficking Task Force (IACAT ATTF) for investigation and case
build-up. (Please refer to No. V General Guidelines)

3. In the event the IACAT ATTF receives information that a departing

passenger is a potential trafficked person, the IACAT ATTF shall:

3.1. Request in writing for TCEU to make further assessment and cite the
reason/s thereof;

3.2. TCEU, upon finding a valid ground, shall defer the departure and refer the
matter to the IACAT ATTF;

3.3. Otherwise, the TCEU after making its assessment shall forward the same
including the copy of the passenger’s documents to the IACAT ATTF and
thereafter shall allow the departure of the passenger; and

3.4. In the event any concerned IACAT ATTF member does not agree with the
decision of TCEU, it shall manifest its objection on record.

II. OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS

1. Departing Overseas Filipino Workers

1.1. A passenger under this classification shall present the following documents:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Original/ valid and appropriate visa/ work permit, in accordance with
country-specific advisory from Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA);
c) Airline/ sea craft travel tickets; and

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 d) E-receipt or Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) duly issued by
POEA’s Pre-Employment Services Office (PESO) or Government
Placement Branch (GPB) for government-to-government deployed
workers, as appearing in the database; and
e) Employment Contract.

In case there is a need for further validation, the passenger/ worker will be
endorsed to the POEA Labor Assistance Center (LAC) immediately for clearance.

1.2. Allowable Visa Usage under the Revised POEA Rules and Regulations

Should there be any discrepancy in the actual job position/ job title in the
visa and in the OEC, travel may be allowed provided the following additional
documents are presented:

a) Notarized Visa Usage Undertaking executed by duly authorized

representative of the recruitment agency and approved by POEA; and
b) Affidavit/Notarized Declaration of Awareness and Consent by the
Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) on the visa usage and approved by
POEA.

1.3. Instance When Visa Usage is NOT Allowed

The above provision on Allowable Visa Usage, does not apply to domestic
workers, and low/semi-skilled female workers as described under POEA
Memorandum Circular No. 05 and 06, Series of 2009.

In case of a domestic worker, the visa category should be strictly for

household-based positions; otherwise, a passenger will not be cleared for
departure and the aforementioned documents shall be confiscated for further
investigation and endorsement to the POEA.

For this purpose, domestic worker shall refer to any person engaged in
domestic work (work performed in or for a household) within an employment
relationship3. They shall include among others, domestic helpers, maids,
houseboys, nannies, baby sitters, private nurses, caregivers, caretakers, tutors,
governesses, cooks, sewers, beauticians, masseurs, drivers, and gardeners
working in a household setting.

In addition to the requirement under II.1.1.1, a domestic worker or a

low-/semi-skilled female worker shall be required to present an individual and
original verified or authenticated employment contract.

3
2016 Revised POEA Rules.

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2. Balik Manggagawa / Returning Workers

2.1. The following OFWs fall under the category of Returning Worker or Balik-
Manggagawa:
a) Returning Worker or Balik-Manggagawa – is an OFW who has served or
is serving his or her employment contract and is:
i. Returning to the same employer and the same job site; or
ii. Returning to the same employer in a new job site.

It shall include an OFW who has started employment with a new

employer and is returning to the said employer.

b) Employment Permit System (EPS) Worker of Korea with Workplace

Change Application – is a worker hired under the EPS who is on vacation
with Certificate of Foreign Job Seekers’ Registration for Application of
Workplace Change.

c) Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) registered worker – is a

returning worker whose employment contract was not processed with
the POEA but was subsequently verified and registered with the POLO in
the jobsite and who is returning to the same employer, regardless of any
change in jobsite.

2.2. Returning Workers or Balik-Manggagawa shall be required to present the

following:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Valid work visa or work permit;
c) Travel ticket; and
d) OEC issued on-site by the POLO or by the POEA.

2.3. Returning Workers or Balik Manggagawa under the Employment Permit

System of South Korea shall be required to present the following:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Valid work visa;
c) Airline ticket;
d) OEC issued by the POEA; and
e) Certificate of Foreign Job Seeker’s Registration for Application of
Workplace Change.

2.4. In case of POLO-registered workers, and when the OEC of the workers is not
reflected in the database, the OFW shall be referred to the POEA-LAC for
inclusion in the POEA database.

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 2.5. In case of incomplete or questionable documents, the OFW shall be referred
to the POEA-LAC for further validation and clearance.

3. Overseas Filipino Workers travelling to other countries during their

vacation

A Returning Worker or Balik Manggagawa with a valid work visa and an existing
work contract with his or her current employer who intends to go to other countries
while on vacation is considered a tourist. He or she need not secure an OEC for such
travel but shall be allowed to travel in accordance with the guidelines for tourist
passengers as shown above.

4. Special Travel Exit Clearance4

The following are required to secure a Special Travel Exit Clearance from
Employment Regulation Branch of the POEA:

4.1. Locally employed seafarers (conduction crew) who will be manning a

Philippine Registered Ship’s conduction from a foreign port to the Philippines;
and

4.2. Seafarers who will undergo orientation and such other analogous
circumstances, as a requirement prior to their employment as prescribed by
the prospective foreign employer. The foreign employer must be accredited
to a licensed manning agency.

III. PASSENGERS WITH IMMIGRANT OR PERMANENT

RESIDENT VISA

1. Filipino emigrants/ residence visa or permit holders / permanent

resident card holders5

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:
a) Valid passport;
b) Permanent residence visa/ immigrant visa/ long term visa/ permanent
residence card6;

4
Section 70, Revised POEA Rules. The POEA shall issue special clearances for travel abroad for Philippine
Registered Ship’s conduction manned by locally employed seafarers. Likewise, it shall cover seafarers who will
undergo orientation and such other analogous circumstances, as a requirement prior to their employment. A
guideline shall be issued by the Administration for the implementation of this section.
5
Batas Pambansa Bilang 79.
6
Executive Order No. 346.

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 c) CFO emigrant registration sticker; and
d) Airline or sea craft travel ticket.

2. Filipino fiancé(e)s, spouses and partners of foreign national

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following document
for primary inspection:
a) Valid passport;
b) Permanent residence permit or visa/ immigrant visa/ long term visa/
permanent residence card;
c) CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate 7;
d) CFO emigrant registration sticker; and
e) Airline or sea craft travel ticket.

3. Filipino minors matched/entrusted to Prospective Adoptive parents

through the Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB)

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following document
for primary inspection:
a) Valid Passport;
b) Permanent resident/immigrant visa/long term visa;
c) CFO emigrant registration sticker;
d) Travel Authority issued by ICAB;
e) Placement Authority; and
f) Airline or sea craft travel ticket.

IV. OTHER CATEGORIES OF TRAVEL PURPOSES

1. On-The-Job Trainee/s or Participants from International Students

Affairs Program

Passengers intending to depart to another country for the purpose of on-the-job

training shall present the following additional documents:

a) Valid Passport;
b) Visa, when applicable
c) Round trip ticket (the return ticket should be consistent with the validity
of the visa and the program, subject to the applicable immigration rules
of the host country)
d) School certification on the need for on-the-job training/ international
students affairs programs;

7
Republic Act Nos. 10906 and 10364; Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 8239.

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 e) Acceptance by the host company authenticated by the Philippine
Embassy or Consulate; and
f) Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Indorsement containing the
following information:
1. List of the name of the students/interns;
2. Full information of the higher education institution (HEI) and the
foreign host establishment/ organization;
3. Degree program enrolled in;
4. Duration of the program; and
5. Place of stay at the host country.
With the following attachments:
i. Photocopy of the student’s passport;
ii. Photocopy of the Visa;
iii.Photocopy of the round trip ticket;
iv. Memorandum of Agreement by and between the HEI in the
Philippines and the foreign host establishment/ organization; 8*
and
v. Attestation/ Certification from the concerned Philippine HEI that
the students are provided with pre-departure briefing.

CHED through the concerned HEI shall submit the endorsement and
the attachments to BI at least three days prior to departure.

The following are international programs of CHED:

• International Educational Trip (IET), CMO 26, s. 2015;
• Grant-In-Aid to Undergraduate Filipino Students Participating in International
Conferences and/or Seminars (GIA-UFSPIC/S), CMO 21, s. 2016; and
• ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS). CMO 11, s. 2014 and CMO 19,
s. 2015

2. Passengers with Prospective Employers Overseas

2.1. Trainee/s required to undergo Skills Enhancement by Prospective Employers

Passengers travelling for purposes of training or skills enhancement by

prospective employers abroad shall present to the IO:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Roundtrip ticket consistent with the duration of the training;
c) Appropriate visa or its equivalent to the destination, if applicable (e.g.
grant notice); and
d) Letter indicating the following:
i. Subject and duration of the training;

8
*Applicable only to on-the-job trainees.

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 ii. Name, address, and contact details of the responsible officer of the
training facility or entity; and
iii. Authentication by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where the
training or skills enhancement will be conducted.

2.2 Passengers required to undergo final interview or qualifying examination

abroad
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Round trip ticket;
c) Visa when applicable; and
d) Letter invitation/ notice from prospective employer indicating the date
and place of interview/ examination verified by the POLO or Philippine
Embassy/ Consulate, in cases where there is no POLO in the business
address of the prospective employer.

3. Relatives requesting for compassionate or humanitarian visit to

overseas Filipino must secure and present a certification from
Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant
Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA), in addition to the requirements under
paragraph 1.1 of this Guidelines.

4. Passengers who intend to depart for intra-company trainings abroad

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Round Trip Ticket;
c) Visa (if applicable) matches the training duration, unless, the country has
specific regulation on the issuance of a visa and its validity period;
d) Proof of local employment;
e) Endorsement of the local company to participate in the training;
f) An invitation from the host company reflecting the duration,
entitlements, travel and other incidental expenses; and
g) Traineeship Agreement regardless of duration of the training, if any.

These requirements shall apply to Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)

registered companies sending their employees to South Korea for training programs
with worker trainee visas.

5. Filipino J1 Visa Holders or Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) Participants

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:
a) Valid passport;

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 b) Valid J1 or EVP Visa;
c) Travel Ticket;
d) CFO EVP/J1 registration sticker; and
e) DS2019

6. Filipinos Departing with Au Pair Visa

Au Pairs are young Filipino citizens, between 18 to 30 years of age, unmarried and
without children, who are place under a cultural exchange arrangement with a
European host family for a maximum stay of two years, unless otherwise allowed by
host countries.

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:

a) Valid passport with a valid Au Pair Visa or its equivalent to the

destination country;
b) Contract of Engagement or Letter of Undertaking to Engage, signed by
the Au Pair and the Head of the host family, duly authenticated/
notarized by the Philippine Embassy/ Consulate in the European country
of destination; and
c) Country Familiarization Seminar (CFS) CFO Registration Sticker.

7. Scholars or Students

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Roundtrip ticket consistent with the duration of the scholarship or school
course duration;
c) Appropriate visa or its equivalent to the destination, if applicable (e.g.
grant notice);
d) Acceptance Letter from the school indicating the following:
i. Subject and duration of the training;
ii. Name, address, and contact details of the responsible officer of the
school;
iii. Authentication by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where the
scholarship/school course will be taken.

8. Filipino minors matched or entrusted to Prospective Adoptive Parents

with temporary/transit visa through the ICAB

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:

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 a) Valid Passport;
b) Temporary or transit visa;
c) Travel Authority issued by ICAB;
d) Placement Authority; and
e) Airline or sea craft travel ticket.

For children whose receiving country has no embassy or consulate in the

Philippines and must apply for a visa in another South East Asian country or country not
requiring Filipino citizens to have an entry visa, the temporary or transit visa shall not
be required.

9. Filipino Volunteers/ Religious Mission Overseas

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Roundtrip ticket consistent with the duration of the volunteer
work/mission;
c) Appropriate visa or its equivalent to the destination, if applicable;
d) Invitation letter from the accredited sponsoring volunteer organization
indicating the following:
i. Subject and duration of the volunteer work or mission; and
ii. Name, address, and contact details of the accredited sponsoring
volunteer organization;
e) Authentication by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where the
volunteer work or mission will be undertaken; and
f) Clearance from Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating
Agency (PNVSCA) pursuant to Republic Act No. 9418 (Volunteer Act of
2007) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

10. Filipino Muslim Pilgrimage To Mecca

Passengers falling under this visa category shall present the following documents
for primary inspection:
a) Passport valid at least six months before the date of departure;
b) Roundtrip ticket consistent with the duration of the pilgrimage with
confirmed reservations;
c) Hajj visa; and
d) Clearance from National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

V. GENERAL GUIDELINES ON TURNOVER OF DEFERRED

DEPARTURE PASSENGERS, TRAVEL DOCUMENTS,
INVESTIGATION AND OTHER RELATED INCIDENTS
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1. The passengers whose departures were deferred and who were
determined to be potentially trafficked person shall be turned over by
the BI to the IACAT ATTF for appropriate intervention. The IACAT ATTF
shall turn over potential trafficked persons requiring protective care and
services to DSWD shelter, or any licensed or accredited institution.

2. Passports, visa, immigration stamp, and other travel documents shall be

confiscated or taken by the BI:

2.1. Questionable Passport

a) BI shall forward the alleged fraudulent passport to the BI- Anti-Fraud

Unit for laboratory examination;
b) If there is a determination by the BI-Anti-Fraud Unit that the passport is
fraudulent or tampered, the BI shall indorse its incident report, attaching
the tampered or fraudulent passport, result of the examination, Affidavit
of Deferred Departure, copy of the BCQ, and other relevant documents
to the IACAT ATTF;
c) BI shall forward to DFA-OCA within 24 hours thru electronic mail, reports
of deferred departures of passengers whose passports have been
confiscated, and the corresponding action taken. The report shall
contain the following information:
i. Last name, first name, middle name as appearing on the passport;
(additionally, the last name, first name, middle name of passenger
if different from the passport);
ii. Passport number;
iii. Date and place of birth;
iv. Sex;
v. Date of deferred departure;
vi. Reason for deferred departure (e.g. fake CFO registration sticker);
and
vii. Action taken and the status.

d) The DFA shall maintain a database of confiscated passports;

2.2. Genuine Passport

a) BI shall prepare and indorse its incident report to IACAT ATTF together
with scanned copy of bio-page and other relevant pages in the passport,
and all relevant documents, including but not limited to the Affidavit of
Deferred Departure and a copy of the BCQ for further investigation; and

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 b) BI shall then forward the passport to the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA)-Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) attaching a copy of the incident
report.

2.3. Investigation by IACAT ATTF

a) For purposes of investigation, the passport (for questionable ones), or a

scanned copy of it (for genuine ones), together with the reports and
other relevant documents shall be turned-over to the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) or to the Philippine National Police (PNP), as the case
may be;
b) NBI or PNP shall conduct investigation to determine the presence of
elements establishing an offense of TIP or other related offenses, identify
persons and entities involved, and file the appropriate charges before the
Office of the Prosecutor; and
c) NBI or PNP shall conclude the investigation of the case within three
weeks under ordinary circumstances; while investigation under extra-
ordinary circumstances shall be concluded on a case-to-case basis.

3. In the event that there is a recruitment agency involved, the BI shall

coordinate with POEA-LAC and furnish the latter all relevant documents.

4. Reporting and Monitoring

4.1 To facilitate better collaboration, reporting, and monitoring, IACAT

Secretariat shall create an email-group composed of: BI, DFA, CFO, POEA,
NBI, PNP, IACAT-OPCEN-NAIA, IACAT Secretariat;

4.2 BI shall use this email-group to submit its report referred to under V.2.2.1.
(c);

4.3 NBI, PNP, and POEA shall likewise use this email-group to update the
agencies on the status of the respective cases (on questionable and genuine
passports) that the concerned agency is investigating;

4.4 DFA-OCA, when necessary, shall use this email-group to pro-actively inquire
on the status of the case (on genuine passport) from the investigating
agency, to be guided on whether or not to hold, release, or cancel the
passport, or to blacklist the applicant or holder of the passport;

4.5 Disposition of questionable passport under:

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 a) Investigation by law enforcers: NBI or PNP shall clearly indicate in its
report the status of the investigation to guide DFA on the disposition of
the passport;
b) Investigation by prosecutors: IACAT Secretariat shall assist DFA in
securing clearance or comment from the investigating prosecutor;
c) Trial before the regular courts: IACAT Secretariat shall assist DFA in
securing clearance or comment from the trial prosecutor; and
d) In case of dismissal of the case, the NBI agent or PNP officer, or the
Prosecutor, as the case may be, shall forward to the nearest DFA office,
the questionable passport with the corresponding report, copy furnished
IACAT Secretariat.

4.6 DFA shall release the passport only upon receipt of a report from NBI, PNP,
or IACAT Secretariat, as the case may be (under V.4.4.5. a, b, c) that a
passport has been “cleared for release.”

4.7 The BI shall maintain a sex-disaggregated database of deferred departures.

As much as possible, such database will be available in all international ports
of entry and exit and should have connectivity features. The IACAT shall, as
far as practicable, support the establishment and maintenance of such
database.
4.8 The DFA-OCA shall furnish the BI a list of authenticated Affidavit of Support
and Undertaking, duly acknowledged and authenticated by the Consular
Office on a weekly basis through the email-group.
4.9 IACAT Secretariat shall collate all the reports on Deferred Departures from
the BI and the updates from the investigating agencies; and shall submit a
quarterly report to update the group through the said email-group.

5. IOs, in the performance of their functions and duties, shall adhere to the
principles of Courtesy, Accountability, Responsibility, Efficiency and
Service (BI-C.A.R.E.S). The BI shall likewise institute a mechanism for
immediate feedback and redress of grievances of passengers.

6. All agencies and task forces designated for the purpose of preventing,
addressing and eliminating trafficking in person, illegal recruitment, and
other related crimes are hereby directed to revise existing procedures
and systems to adhere to the revised guidelines within one month from
the effectivity thereof, to be submitted to the IACAT and Philippine Task
Force Against Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR) for review and evaluation.

All department order, circulars, and issuances inconsistent herewith are hereby
revoked.

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 This Circular takes effect immediately upon the signing of the “Resolution
Adopting the 2017 Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Revised
Departure Formalities for International-Bound Passengers” by all the Council
representative and shall remain in force until further order.

For strict compliance.

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