Dole lifts deployment ban on Israel

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) on Wednesday withdrew the temporary suspension of deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Israel, after tensions between Israel and Palestine died down. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered the lifting of the suspension on July 14 “in the interest of service and based on the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs.” The Dole stopped the deployment of Filipino workers to Israel on May 20 when the conflict, particularly at the Gaza Strip, was at its peak. Some 30,000 Filipinos live and work in Israel, based on data from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, with around 400 OFWs staying at the Gaza Strip. —PATRICIA DENISE M. CHIU