POEA awaits IATF decision over 5K cap on med workers deployment

He also assured that although they have yet to receive the official IATF resolution, they have started processing the applications of medical workers. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said it is still waiting for the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) regarding the annual 5,000-limit for the deployment of health care workers (HCWs).

“We would like to know what’s in the IATF Resolution regarding the 5,000 cap, does it include newly hires, private deployment, government to government hires. When the POEA Governing Board sees the recommendation on the ceiling, that is when we will be able to issue a categorical answer,” POEA administrator Bernard Olalia said in a virtual forum Monday.

He also assured that although they have yet to receive the official IATF resolution, they have started processing the applications of medical workers.

“Since it involves a long process it is better to start processing their papers,” Olalia added.

On Saturday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has lifted the temporary deployment ban on nurses and other medical workers.

Earlier, the government imposed the ban to ensure that country has sufficient number of workers in the health sector as part of response efforts to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.