A LABOR official dismissed proposals to lift the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in some parts of the Middle East, saying it may be “unwise” to do so at this time.
Labor Attaché Alejandro Padaen of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Lebanon said in a news release on Sunday that officials should first consult with people on the ground and carefully study the situation in destination countries before policy pronouncements are made.
Abdullah Mama-o, newly appointed secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers, is eyeing the lifting of suspension on the deployment of newly hired skilled and household service workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, including Libya and Iraq.
Citing Lebanon, Padaen said the country is yet to recover from the political and economic turmoil, and has yet to conclude an agreement on a standard contract, especially those covering domestic workers.
In January 2020, the Department of Foreign Affairs raised the Alert Level in Lebanon from 1 (Precautionary Phase) to 2 (Restriction Phase).
Filipino workers with existing contracts and are registered under the Balik Manggagawa program are allowed return to Lebanon.
Accordingly, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has issued Governing Board Resolution No. 08, series of 2020, which suspends the processing and deployment of newly-hired workers bound for Lebanon, including crew changes, embarkation, disembarkation, and shore leaves for seafarers.
Padaen suggested the finalization of the Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Workers pending the agreement between the Philippine and Lebanese governments.
Padaen said that there are 17,000 to 19,000 Filipinos in Lebanon as of June 2021, but the numbers may be lesser now due to ongoing repatriation efforts.
The latest batch was repatriated last month, among them POLO shelter wards who have not received enough salaries or were not receiving their salaries on time.
Meanwhile, Georgia and Azerbaijan are open for workers in the oil and gas sector and Northern Cyprus in the tourism sector.(PNA)
