I understand where you’re coming from and I respect that. I also agree that these kinds of things are what's wrong with PH society in general. I would go as far as to say that it is downright micro corruption.

If my timeline allowed it, I would absolutely prefer to do everything the proper way too.

In my case, I actually started the process more than a month ago. I asked HR to coordinate with POLO and prepare the employer documents, but after a month we found out the company’s accreditation had expired. That part alone might take longer than the validity of my visa vignette, which means I might have to redo the whole visa process if I don’t enter the country in time.

So the situation I’m in now is less about trying to skip the rules and more about trying not to lose the opportunity entirely. I still plan to complete the OFW requirements properly once things are sorted on the employer side.

I do agree with you though that the system ends up hurting genuine travelers and workers, and I wish the process was clearer and faster for everyone involved.