DMW Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield DMW facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What does the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208, as amended by RA 10364) criminalize in relation to overseas employment? → Recruiting, transporting, or harboring persons through deception for exploitation
2. Which certificate confirms that an OFW has completed the mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS)? → PDOS Certificate of Completion
3. Which DMW service helps OFWs who have been illegally recruited or victimized by illegal recruiters? → Anti-Illegal Recruitment Program
4. What does the 'Compulsory Insurance' requirement under the Migrant Workers Act mandate for land-based OFWs? → Recruitment agencies must provide personal accident insurance for deployed OFWs
5. Which agency's functions were absorbed into the DMW to regulate overseas employment? → Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
6. Under DMW regulations, which government body has the power to cancel or revoke the license of a recruitment agency? → Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)
7. Which DMW initiative encourages OFWs to invest their savings in Philippine businesses before or upon return? → OWWA Negosyo at Entrepreneurship for OFWs (NEO) Program
8. What is the primary reason for the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)? → To streamline services and better protect OFWs.
9. Under DMW rules, which government agency primarily handles the prosecution of illegal recruiters? → The Department of Justice (DOJ) through the National Prosecution Service
10. Under the DMW framework, what happens to an OFW's OWWA membership benefits when they decide to permanently return and not work overseas again? → The OFW retains access to unexpired OWWA benefits and may apply for reintegration programs
11. Which government agency primarily handles the reintegration of trafficking victims among returning OFWs? → DSWD through its Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP)
12. OWWA membership is required as part of OFW documentation processing. What does OWWA stand for? → Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
13. Which of the following is NOT a core objective of the DMW? → To assist Filipinos in migrating to other countries for permanent residency.
14. Which earlier law first established the Migrant Workers Act and governed overseas Filipino employment before the DMW was created? → Republic Act 8042
15. The iDMW portal is primarily used by OFWs and stakeholders for which purpose? → Online application and processing of OFW documents and transactions
16. The DMW's online registration and documentation system replaced which legacy manual or institutional system? → The paper-based manual registration system at POEA offices
17. What is the primary purpose of the DMW's Welfare Attaché offices posted in OFW-receiving countries? → To provide on-site welfare services and assistance to distressed OFWs
18. What does the DMW's 'Shared Government Information System for Migration' (SGISM) aim to achieve? → To create a centralized database for monitoring OFW deployments and migration data
19. What service does the DMW provide to OFWs before they leave the Philippines? → Pre-departure orientation seminars.
20. Which of the following is a core function of the DMW? → Licensing and regulating recruitment agencies.
21. What is one way the DMW helps protect OFWs from exploitation? → It monitors and regulates recruitment agencies.
22. Under the Migrant Workers Act, compulsory insurance coverage for OFWs must be obtained by whom and at what time? → By the employer or recruitment agency before the OFW's departure
23. Which body assists the DMW Secretary in decision-making and policymaking? → Migrant Workers Consultative Council
24. Under DMW rules, who bears the cost of an OFW's repatriation when the foreign employer fails to provide it? → The recruitment agency, and if unable, the OWWA Repatriation Fund
25. What is the 'OWWA OFW-Enterprise Development and Loan Program (EDLP)'? → A business loan program that provides up to PHP 2 million to OFW entrepreneurs
26. What is the standard validity period of an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)? → 60 days from the date of issuance
27. What is the OWWA 'Balik-Pinas, Balik-Hanapbuhay' program designed to do? → Provide seed capital and livelihood kits to returning distressed OFWs
28. How does the DMW classify workers deployed by government placement offices under G2G programs? → As government hires exempt from placement fees charged by private agencies
29. Under the Migrant Workers Act, what is the prescriptive period for filing criminal cases involving illegal recruitment? → 20 years
30. Under DMW rules, what is the maximum allowable placement fee that a land-based recruitment agency can charge an OFW? → No placement fee is allowed for household service workers; one month's salary for others