By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

The Philippine Overseas Labour Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) will be transferring to a new home near the embassy in the Jelaiah area, West Bay, to have a “one-stop-shop” for thousands of Filipino expatriates.
POLO-OWWA and two attached agencies, the Pag-Ibig Fund and Social Security System (SSS) in Qatar, will be housed in two adjoining villas about 300m from the chancery.
It will also be the new home for dozens of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Labour attaché Leopoldo De Jesus told Gulf Times that the three-storey building sit on an approximately 1,500m lot, wide enough to house more people who normally register to become legitimate OWWA members. It is also where they get Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) – a document presented to airport officials in the Philippines upon exiting the country after their visit or vacation.
De Jesus stressed that the clamour of the Filipino community to bring their office nearer to the embassy is now a reality. “With all Philippine government offices in one area, it will be more convenient and easier for our compatriots to transact and avail of various government services being offered by the embassy,” he said.
They plan to shift from November 1 and the labour attache has vowed to work closely with different Filipino organisations in Qatar to inform all OFWs.
De Jesus believes that the move will reduce the hassle and transportation cost of commuters in going to two different places far from each other. The Philippine embassy office also transferred to the same area early this year to accommodate thousands of Filipinos who avail of various consular services. Many OFWs often mistakenly go to POLO-OWWA when the services they want to avail are offered by the embassy. Filipinos then have to take another taxi and pay more.  
Embassy officials have earlier disclosed that they will be meeting people from Mowasalat for a possible deployment of buses to the area.
In an interview, SSS-Qatar head Michael Ingal said that the plan is part of the Philippine government’s “one country team” approach where all its representatives posted abroad shall act in unison under the leadership of the ambassador.
The two agencies had also recorded an increasing number of OFW registrants who want to continue paying their monthly contributions. Some want to avail of housing and salary loans and other benefits as members.