Health workers with existing contracts may leave PH
THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration clarified that while the agency will not be issuing new overseas employment certificates (OEC) to Filipino health workers, those who already have existing contracts for overseas employment will be allowed to leave the country.
POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia issued the clarification amid the 5,000 cap enforced on the deployment of Filipino nurses abroad.
The POEA will halt from issuing new OECs for Filipino health workers since the said limit has been reached this year due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic
“The cap of 5,000 was reached last June 1 based on the overseas employment certificate issued since January. Exempted from this are those with existing contracts. Also exempted are those for deployment in the United Kingdom and those hired under government-to-government scheme because we have to fulfill the state obligation under such bilateral agreement. So they will be able to leave,” he said.
Olalia also disclosed that the POEA has recommended raising the cap to allow more health workers to work abroad.
“We want to be able to deploy more,” he explained, adding that nurses, nursing aides and nursing assistants were among health workers who were able to leave the country in January.
In a related development, the POEA chief said a temporary deployment ban to Myanmar is enforced due to the on-going political unrest there but Filipinos with existing jobs in Myanmar who are presently in the Philippines, will be allowed to return to Myanmar.
