Joy Adalia
Netizens were outraged to learn that Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials prevented members of the Defence of the Ancients (DOTA) team from leaving the country to prepare for an international competition in Incheon, South Korea.
The BI officials’ reason was perplexing: these kids did not have an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA); thus, they could not leave the country.
This reason is quite crazy because these kids are not going to South Korea to become OFWs, for heaven’s sake! They were participating in an international online gaming competition! I didn’t know a game contestant is automatically considered as OFW if he/she is competing outside the Philippines!
Apparently, POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac also agrees with our view. According to Cacdac, though the players held a contract in South Korea, there was no salary clause. Therefore, in all technicalities, these players are not OFWs! Instead of a salary, they will receive a prize – just like the winners of any competition.
Because of BI offloading the DOTA players, the team was forced to compete inside an internet café but intermittent connections became a huge factor which led to their loss. The team strongly believes they could have won if they were given the chance to compete in South Korea.
The only international competition they are currently qualified for The Summit 3, a $200,000 tournament at Los Angeles, California, in May 2015, they lost the qualifiers for other international competitions:
- online SEA qualifier for Starladder 12; main event in Bucharest, Romania (pulled out due to schedule conflict with US visa appointments for Major League Gaming)
- online SEA qualifier for ESL ONE; main event at Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany (lost during the quarterfinals to Underminer)
- online SEA qualifier for Redbull Battlegrounds; main event at Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, California (lost during the finals to Team Malaysia)
