DOLE eyes lifting temporary suspension on deployment of HCWs

FILE: Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, in a press briefing for the Philippine media delegation at the Orchard Hotel in Singapore. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is looking at lifting the temporary suspension of deployment of health care workers (HCWs) abroad, but with conditions.

“We are now seriously considering lifting the suspension of deployment but with certain conditionalities. Maybe we will set a cap,” DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a weekly virtual forum.

He said they are looking to allow the deployment of a maximum of 5,000 nurses and medical workers per year.

“For example, we allow the deployment of nurses and medical workers at the maximum, 5,000 a year, for us to have sufficient number of medical workers in medical services in case the pandemic worsens.

Although, it seems the situation seems to show that the incident is decreasing,” he added.

Bello said President Rodrigo Duterte approved the appeal of nurses and medical workers to extend anew the period for those who have perfected and signed contracts as of Sept. 30, 2020, to be allowed to leave the county.

“I mentioned to the President about the appeal of nurses and medical workers to also include those who have complete papers as of September 30. He was in favor, so I immediately informed (POEA) Admin (Bernard) Olalia about the approval of the president,” he added.

DOLE would submit its recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to allow to leave those who have completed their papers as of September 30.

The temporary suspension of the deployment of nurses was implemented to ensure that the country has enough health workers if the need arises amid the pandemic.