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Sunday, November 18, 2007
Labor office revises deployment ban in 3 countries
MANILA -- The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in consultation with other government agencies and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has revised a deployment ban imposed in Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion in a department order kept the deployment ban in Afghanistan enforceable.
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However, it allowed OFWs employed by coalition forces such as the United Nations, Red Cross, International Organization for Migration, Red Crescent and other similar international organizations to enter and leave the country.
For Nigeria, OFWs returning to their previous employment and newly-hired OFWs whose principal or employers are accredited by the POEA will be exempted from the ban.
OFWs hired and employed by the Nigeria Delta companies would also be allowed to leave provided they secure clearance from Secretary Brion.
But the same order stated that for the newly-hired OFWs, it would be a "case-to-case" basis as determined by the Labor Secretary "subject to terms and conditions he may impose."
These terms includes "the nature of the principals business and work locations, long established reputation and track record in hiring OFWs in their global operations, the risk involved, the security measures the principals has put in place and terms and conditions of employment," the three-page order read.
For Lebanon, those returning household service workers (HSW) to their previous employers and under the terms of the new policy reforms for HSWs are exempted from the deployment ban.
Also exempted are newly-hired HSWs, whose employers include the heads of state of the government –- ministers, deputy ministers, and other government officials of equal ranks and members of the diplomatic corp., as well as the United Nations and other international organizations.
The labor office meanwhile said the deployment ban in Iraq stays, even after reports of illegal entries of OFWs using Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar as their point of entry.
"The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is hereby directed to issue the appropriate rules and regulations implementing this order," the Dole order added.
It would be recalled that the labor department imposed ban in Iraq following the abduction of truck driver Angelo dela Cruz in 2004.
The ban in Lebanon, on the other hand, was imposed following the war between the Israelis.
In Nigeria, the ban came as result of the series of kidnapping committed among the foreign workers. (MSN/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (November 18, 2007 issue)
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