OFW deployment to Qatar suspended amid diplomatic crisis

The Philippines has temporarily banned the deployment of Filipino workers to Qatar amid the diplomatic crisis currently hounding the Middle Eastern country, marking the first time the Philippines enacted a travel ban to a country without an alert level.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced the temporary ban in a press conference on Tuesday, a day after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain announced the severance of diplomatic ties with Qatar over allegations that it supports extremist groups, including ISIS.

"We stopped all processing. Even those already scheduled to go, we are sorry, but we have to suspend first the deployment," Bello said, adding the ban is effective starting June 6.

Bello gives clarification regarding the current ban on OFW deployment to Qatar: pic.twitter.com/b6O769bcKe

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) June 6, 2017

Possible problem

Bello said the deployment ban was because "we are foreseeing a possible problem in Qatar."

"Like, for example, we know for a fact that Qatar does not produce its own food. If anything happens that they run out of food and food riots will take place, definitely our OFWs will be the first victims. Kaya kailangang-kailangang may preparatory measures to meet a possible exigency," he said.

Recruitment agencies in the Philippines have also been advised to ensure the safety of the OFWs they deployed through their counterparts in Qatar.

"We have advised all our recruitment agencies for them to get in touch with their counterparts in Qatar to see to it that our migrant workers are sufficiently and effectively protected if anything goes wrong in that country," Bello said.

Bello launched an investigation on the situation of Qatar and Middle Eastern countries, in "close coordination" with the Department of Foreign Affairs, which will determine the length of the temporary deployment ban.

"It depends on the assessment that we will be undertaking. This will be in close coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs," Bello said. "Depende kung lalala ang situation, o baka naman yung anticipated problem will not have come about, so depende na situation yan."

No food riots, repatriation

The secretary was quick to point out that the labor attache in Qatar reported no food riots as rumors have suggested. However, all Filipinos in the area, including diplomatic posts, were advised to stock up on food and water in case of emergencies.

"He informed me that there are no food riot threats yet as the rumors have been spread around. Wala pa naman daw ganun. Although I told him that as a preparatory measure, we should advise our OFWs in Qatar and even our own office, the POLO office, to start making stock of food provisions," Bello said.

Despite the diplomatic crisis, Bello said there are no plans to repatriate Filipinos in Qatar, but plans are in place to help distressed Filipinos who will return home.

"We still have to study the situation but in the meantime, we are already sending some augmentation team not only to Qatar but even also to the other Middle Eastern countries to meet any possible exigency," he said.

Lengthy process

Bello was recently invited by the Labor Ministry of Qatar to sign a memorandum of agreement regarding the labor relations of both countries.

"Ang reklamo sa 'tin nung Minister of Labor is that they prefer Filipino overseas workers. Their problem is that, the minister said, it is taking our government too long to process the deployment papers," Bello said.

"Ang Philippines, six weeks. So I said, if you want Mr. Minister, I will reduce it to one week."

Labor Assistant Secretary Joji Aragon said most Filipinos who work in Qatar are skilled and semi-skilled workers and are joined by professionals such as engineers and nurses.

Jojo Aragon,DOLE Asec:Most OFWs in Qatar work as technicians, skilled & semi-skilled workers in services; relatively good working conditions

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) June 6, 2017

"Ito ho ay nasa services. Marami rin po tayong mga technicians, skilled and semi-skilled workers. Relatively, maganda ang working conditions sa Qatar. Sila ay pinapangalagaan doon," Aragon said. "Sa healthcare industry ho ay marami tayong nurses and other healthcare workers."

According to the Labor Department, there were 141,000 documented OFWs in Qatar as of 2016. —KBK, GMA News