Mandatory Drug Testing for OFWs - Is It Necessary?

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Mandatory Drug Testing for OFWs – Is It Necessary?

July 21st, 2009

Should all prospective Overseas Filipino Workers undergo mandatory drug testing as proposed by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency?

I certainly have no qualms about this proposal knowing the benefits and advantages of this additional screening process (I’m sure others do as well) but we have to analyze the current situation first before implementing something which is really of no value and could lead to additional burdens to all Filipinos in general.

This proposed procedure has to be reviewed for redundancy issues since some job sites, like in Canada, United States and European countries, already require and perform mandatory drug test as part of their medical examinations.

According to Emmanuel Geslani, a recruitment industry consultant, the proposed mandatory drug testing is “an additional and unnecessary expense” which is really true since applicants for job overseas are already required to undergo medical exams as part of the selection process by recruitment agencies and it will impose additional burden for applicants hoping to land jobs overseas.

Geslani, however, welcomed the module on drug-awareness and modus operandi of drug traffickers that PDEA and POEA wanted to add to the pre-departure and pre-employment orientation seminars of outbound OFWs. “The module will warn and inform departing OFWs on the dangers of being used as an illegal drug courier,” Geslani added. This was developed after reports of international drug syndicates recruiting OFWs to knowingly or unwittingly carry illegal drug packages.

However, Geslani cleared that these “drug couriers” are not OFWs but tourists who were recruited by the syndicates to carry drugs inside their bodies.

Whatever is the underlying motive of this proposal, OFWs are not against any additional requirements being imposed by the government. Additional requirements are to help and secure Filipinos working abroad and not to impose additional burdens or “additional collections” for our government agencies and/or government personnel.