Human Rights in The Philippines - Freedom To Travel

Freedom To Travel

Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, in part, "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country." The Covenant was adopted on December 10, 1948 and, as of 30 September 1995, had been ratified or acceded to by 132 States, including the Philippines. Article III Section 2 of the Philippine constitution provides, in part, that the right to travel shall not impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the main government agency assigned to monitor and supervise recruitment agencies in the Philippines, enforces a system of exit clearances for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). OFWs are required to obtain a POEA exit clearance in order to be allowed to leave the country. The process of obtaining a POEA exit clearances has been described in the Philippine press as a "nightmare". In a Philippine Daily Inquirer piece dated July 14, 2011, Rigoberto Tiglao, Philippine ambassador to Greece and Cyprus, questioned the POEA exit clearances, opining that they may be unconstitutional.