Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act
RULE XIV
SHARED GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR MIGRATION
Section 1. Composition. An Inter-Agency Committee shall be established to implement a shared government information system for migration. The Inter-Agency Committee shall be composed of the following agencies:
a) Department of Foreign Affairs:
b) Department of Labor and Employment and concerned attached agencies;
c) Department of Justice;
d) Department of the Interior and Local Government;
e) Department of Health and concerned attached agencies;
f) Department of Social Welfare and Development;
g) Department of Tourism;
h) Insurance Commission;
i) Commission on Filipinos Overseas;
j) Bureau of Immigration;
k) National Bureau of Investigation;
l) National Telecommunications Commission;
m) Commission on Information and Communications Technology;
n) National Computer Center;
o) National Statistical and Coordination Board;
p) National Statistics Office;
q) Home Development Mutual Fund; and
r) Other government agencies concerned with overseas employment.
Section 2. Availability, Accessibility and Linkaging of Computer Systems. Initially, the Inter-Agency Committee shall make available to itself the information contained in existing data bases/files of its member agencies. The second phase shall involve linkaging of computer facilities systems in order to allow the free-flow data exchanges and sharing among concerned agencies.
Section 3. Chair and Technical Assistance. The Inter-Agency Committee shall be co-chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment. The National Computer Center shall provide the necessary technical assistance and shall set the appropriate information and communications technology standards to facilitate the sharing of information among the member agencies.
Section 4. Declassification and Sharing of Existing Information. The Inter-Agency Committee shall convene to identify existing databases, which shall be declassified and shared among member agencies. These shared databases shall initially include, but not be limited to, the following information:
a) Master lists of Filipino migrant workers/overseas Filipinos classified according to occupation/job category, civil status, by country/state of destination including visa classification;
b) Inventory of pending legal cases involving Filipino migrant workers and other Filipino migrant workers and other Filipino nationals, including those serving prison terms;
c) Master list of departing/arriving Filipinos;
d) Statistical profile on Filipino migrant workers/overseas Filipinos/ tourists;
e) Blacklisted foreigners/undesirable aliens;
f) Basic data on legal systems, immigration policies, marriage laws and civil and criminal codes in receiving countries particularly those with large numbers of Filipinos;
g) List of labor and other human rights instruments where receiving countries are signatories;
h) A tracking system of past and present gender desegregated cases involving male and female migrant workers, including minors; and
i) List of overseas posts, which may render assistance to overseas Filipinos in general, and migrant workers, in particular.
j) List of licensed recruiters and recruitment agencies;
k) List of accredited foreign employers;
l) List of recruiters and recruitment agencies with decided/pending criminal/civil/administrative cases, and their dispositions; and
m) Such other information as may be deemed necessary by the Inter-Agency Committee.
The Inter-Agency Committee shall establish policies, guidelines, and procedures in implementing this Rule, including declassification of information.
Section 5. Confidentiality of Information. Information and data acquired through this shared information system shall be treated as confidential and shall only be used for official and lawful purposes, related to the usual functions of the Inter-Agency Committee members, and for purposes envisioned by the Act.
Section 6. Regular Meetings. The Inter-Agency Committee shall meet regularly to ensure the immediate and full implementation of Section 20 of the Act and shall explore the possibility of setting up a central storage facility for the data on migration. The progress of the implementation shall be included in the report of the DFA and the DOLE under Section 33 of the Act.
The Inter-Agency Committee shall convene thirty (30) days from effectivity of these Rules to prioritize the discussion of the following, inter alia: data to be shared, frequency of reporting, and timeless and availability of data.
Section 7. Secretariat.
A secretariat, which shall provide administrative and support services to the Inter-Agency Committee shall be based in the DFA.
Section 8. Funds. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office shall allocate an initial amount of P10 Million to carry out the provisions of this Rule. Thereafter, the actual budget of the Inter-Agency Committee shall be drawn from the General Appropriations Act in accordance with Section 26 of Republic Act No. 10022.
The E-Government Fund may be tapped for purposes of fund sourcing by the Inter-Agency Committee.