Nurses not barred from UK

MANILA, Philippines — Nurses and other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are not barred from entering the United Kingdom, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in UK, DOLE Information Public Service director Rolly Francia said Filipino health care workers could enter the UK despite the restriction imposed by the British government.

“OFWs entering the UK are not included with those who cannot enter. They are exempted,” Francia said in Filipino at a recent virtual briefing.

He stressed, however, that OFWs entering the UK are required to comply with health protocols.

“It means when they arrive, the necessary quarantine period must be observed,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the local recruitment industry claimed that the government’s policies are derailing the hiring of more OFWs abroad.

Instead of helping agencies process as many workers as possible, recruitment officials claimed that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration imposes prohibitive regulations.

The industry claimed that processing of additional or renewal of job orders from accredited principals takes at least two weeks.

They said there are many other policies that block the efforts of recruitment agencies to market with new employers or get additional job orders for OFWs.