POEA-accredited jobs await in new job-listing site

To ensure security for job seekers, OFWguru only accepts POEA-licensed employment agencies to post their job listings

MANILA, Philippines – OFWguru, the Philippines’ first free job-listing site specifically designed to connect POEA accredited recruitment agencies and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), was launched last August 17, 2015. Both aspiring and employed OFW can use this focused, streamlined platform to find various jobs abroad.

“OFWguru is designed to simplify and improve the overseas employment process for both job seekers and recruitment agencies. We also entered a partnership with Facebook’s internet.org initiative, so that customers can access our site free of any data charges.” said Ritche Weekun, co-founder of OFWguru.

To make the job-search experience easier for users, the site uses a clean and simple design. Under the hood, however, sophisticated programs help to suggest the most suitable opportunities to applicants to further simplify the job-search process.

To ensure security for job seekers, OFWguru only accepts POEA-licensed employment agencies to post their job listings. In addition, the site frequently updates any agency status changes with POEA to ensure job postings are indeed POEA approved.

The website likewise doubles as an independent information source for OFW concerns. Its guide sections feature articles about living abroad with tips on the application process, overseas life, and even financial management. The blog section, meanwhile, highlights the personal stories of OFWs.

Feedback also plays a huge role in OFWguru services, and users rate agencies they’ve had firsthand experiences with.

Ritche Weekun and Georg Steiger are the co-founders of OFWguru. They met when they worked in international management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

“OFWs contribute a lot to the Philippine economy. When we started to look at this segment in more detail, we noticed that there are many things that could be improved in the way OFWs make their way abroad – starting from illegal recruiters praying on unexperienced first timers to complex paperwork and requirements for visas and clearances.

We launched OFWguru to help make this process more efficient for everyone and provide OFWs with better knowledge to navigate around the pitfalls.” said Georg Steiger, on how they came up with the idea for OFWguru.

In 2014, more Filipinos were deployed as OFWs (4,500/day) compared to the number of Filipinos who found jobs in the Philippines (2,800/day)*. Future forecast only estimate the number to increase as global economy improves. According to World Bank, personal remittances hit new historic high at US $27 billion contributing 10% of the country’s GDP. – Press release/Rappler.com