EIGHT countries are now allowing foreign workers, including Filipinos, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

These are Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei, Canada, United Kingdom and Cuba.

"They have slowly eased travel restrictions and lockdowns in these various destination labor countries," POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said in a televised press briefing Friday, October 2, 2020.

He said Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are still looking for skilled workers while Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brunei are accepting skilled workers and household service workers.

In Canada and UK, the in-demand workers are healthcare workers, especially nurses, Olalia said.

Cuba is accepting mostly construction workers, he added.

Government records show that more than 200,000 overseas Filipino workers have been displaced and repatriated since the start of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)