DOLE eyes raising deployment cap of HCWs

MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is continuously assessing the possible increase in the annual deployment cap of health care workers (HCWs) abroad, including nurses.

Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Saturday the regular assessment is in response to countries that are asking for Filipino nurses.

“Germany alone is asking for 15,000 nurses. That’s how in demand our HCWs but we have to be very sure that when we send our medical workers, we also have sufficient workers in the country which is just right for our medical needs or else I’ll be answerable to President Rodrigo Duterte, if we run out of nurses,” the DOLE chief said in a radio interview.

The Philippines Overseas Employment Administration reported that there are less than 900 left in the 6,500 limit.

Originally, the cap approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases was 5,000, set in January 2021.

Bello appealed for an increase while Germany’s request to be exempted from the deployment limit is pending.