Deployment ban on HCWs reimposed

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) yesterday announced the reimposition of the temporary deployment ban on health care workers (HCWs).

In Advisory 71-2021 dated June 1, 2021, POEA administrator Bernard Olalia said newly hired nurses, nursing aides and nurse assistants can no longer be deployed abroad because “the annual deployment ceiling of 5,000 new hires had already been reached.”

“The processing and issuance of overseas employment certificates and the deployment of new hires for health care workers are hereby suspended effective immediately,” he said.

He clarified though that those who were already issued their corresponding overseas employment certificates “are allowed to depart for their overseas employment.”

Olalia assured workers that the government is continuously studying the situation.

“The Department of Labor and Employment’s Mission Critical Skills Technical Working Group continually studies and deliberates upon the issues to come up with policy recommendations for submission to the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for consideration or approval,” he maintained.

Last year, the government implemented a ban to prevent a depletion in the manpower in local hospitals as the country continues to battle the rising cases of COVID-19.

The restriction was lifted in November 2020 but the government had set a deployment cap of only 5,000 annually.