The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will review the status of the 41 countries where the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would be banned.
The DFA move came after the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said on Tuesday that it was considering deferring for three months the deployment ban on 41 countries earlier certified as unsafe for OFWs.
According to the POEA, its governing board was considering deferring the ban, which is to take effect on November 17, after the DFA formally asked for its postponement.
“We will use the deferment period to revisit the 41 countries with the view of moving forward toward compliance with the amended Migrant Workers Act (Republic Act No. 10022),” said DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
RA 10022, or the Amended Migrant Workers Act, forbids the deployment of OFWs to countries certified as not protective of migrant workers.
Survey
“We will submit new certifications after 90 days, taking into account results of DFA’s dialogue with countries concerned and new developments in those countries with respect to protection of migrant workers,” Hernandez said.
Philippine embassies will conduct a survey to determine if the rights of migrant workers are protected in countries under their jurisdiction.
The DFA will then issue a certification that the host country meets the criteria set by law for the deployment of OFWs.
The DFA asked the POEA to defer the deployment ban to avoid straining diplomatic relations with the 41 countries.
Earlier, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a nonprofit organization focused on labor and migration issues, said the DFA’s decision would alleviate the concerns of OFWs in these countries.
The center said the concerned government agencies could use the deferment period “to sit down and thresh out” more amenable ways to protects OFWs.
Workers happy
Migrant workers groups yesterday welcomed the DFA decision to withdraw its certifications for 41 countries found inadequately protecting Filipino laborers.
The certifications from the DFA were used by the POEA as basis for the labor deployment ban on the 41 countries.
The Blas F. Ople Policy Center said the DFA’s decision was timely, adding that the group had been receiving e-mails and Facebook messages from concerned workers who have already made travel and vacation plans for December.
Recruiters were also happy with the DFA decision, according to Emmanuel Geslani, a consultant of several Manila-based recruitment agencies.
“The recruitment sector welcomes the prudent decision of the DFA to listen to the public clamor of withdrawing the certifications that would have led to serious diplomatic repercussions with countries named noncompliant,” Geslani said.
POEA Administrator Carlos Cao told reporters yesterday he still had to receive a formal notification from the DFA regarding the withdrawal of the certifications.
Valenzuela City Representative Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday described the DFA decision as a wise move.
“The move showed that the agency was willing to rectify an obviously flawed recommendation judging from the negative reactions it received not only from the affected OFWs but also from the stakeholders and industry players,” said Gatchalian. With a report from Cynthia D. Balana