The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) governing board stated in three separate resolutions that the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Iraq, Yemen and Eretria is now allowed.

The Labor Secretary said in a press statement, “The Department of Foreign Affairs has included Iraq in the list of compliant countries under Republic Act 10022, effectively lifting the five-year old ban to the said country.”

The Crisis Alert Level in Iraq was lowered to Level 1 (Precautionary Phase) by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) with mandatory travel restriction to “no-go” zones to be determined by the host country.

The deployment ban for rehires or returning workers was lifted after the Iraqui government submitted the list of areas identified as “no-go” zones. The processing of applications for newly hired (except HSWs) will resume upon the conclusion of a Bilateral Labor Agreement with Iraq and the identification of the restricted zones.”

Meanwhile OFWs can now be deployed in Yemen since the DFA lowered its Alert Level from  2 to Alert Level 1 last January. The POEA Board also allowed the deployment of OFWs in Eritrea because of a certification issued by the DFA on December 21, 2012, that included it in the list of compliant countries.

Labor Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz, announced that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued a resolution that lifts the deployment ban of Filipino workers in Lebanon and Jordan.

Baldoz said, “The POEA governing board has agreed to lift the temporary suspension of deployment of newly hired household service workers (HSWs) for the Kingdom of Jordan.”

She added, “This means the deployment ban to Jordan is now 100 percent lifted and our workers there can now return home, and we can also send newly hired workers there,” Baldoz said.

Read more about the Lifting of Deployment Ban in Lebanon and Jordan. 

 The worsening violence in South Sudan prompts the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise the crisis alert level to 3 calling for OFW deployment ban. The DFA also announced that they would assist in the repatriation of willing OFWs in Sudan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said, “For prudence’s sake, we have raised crisis alert level 3 in South Sudan in light of escalating violence in the capital where most of our nationals are located. We are ready to move our people out, should they wish to leave.”

According to the statement, “The DFA has instructed the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, which has jurisdiction over South Sudan, to implement the voluntary repatriation program.”

Data from the DFA said that there are a minimum of 150 Filipinos in Sudan and most of them are employed in construction companies, the United Nations and some non-government organizations.

The news that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) partially lifted the deployment ban in Iraq and Afghanistan is being used by unscrupulous individuals to tricked unsuspecting applicants by promising jobs to the said countries.   For this reason, the POEA issued an advisory to remind jobseekers that for the moment any job offers to Iraq and Afghanistan is illegal or nonexistent because the deployment ban is still in place.

According to Carlos Cao Jr., POEA administrator, “Illegal recruiters saying otherwise must not be believed and must be reported to POEA and other law enforcement authorities for legal action.”

Read the full article.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced on its official website that the processing and deployment of Filipino workers bound to Bahrain is now allowed.

This is due to the announcement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the security classification in Bahrain was reduced from alert level 2 to alert level 1.