POEA: 643 Pinoy health workers set for deployment abroad stranded due to gov’t ban

At least 643 Filipino health workers are stranded in the country as a result of the  government ban on the deployment of health workers abroad amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said Friday.

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said that of the 643 health workers banned from leaving from March 1 to May 21, 593 were direct hires, nine were direct hired, 41 were supposed to be deployed under government to government scheme.

Guidelines released by the government’s coronavirus task force in April stated that only healthcare workers who have signed employment contracts as of March 8 will be allowed to leave the country.

As for Filipino health workers not covered by the said ban for having signed contracts on or before March 8, there were 344 of them who were deployed abroad in May, a 39.44% decline from the 568 Filipino health workers deployed abroad in April.

Excluding the Filipino health workers, the deployment of Filipino workers abroad went down to 476,289 from January to April this year—a 34.9% decrease from last year’s 731,551 during the same period last year.

Returning OFWs

Administrator Hans Cacdac of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) also revealed that 300,000 to as much as 500,000 OFWs will be returning home by the end of the year or until  next year due to displacement brought about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mga 300,000 to 500,000 pa po ang uuwi, and there could be more,” Cacdac said.

Given the numbers, Cacdac said that OWWA would need Congress’ help so that the agency can continue to fund the quarantine measures in place for returning OFWs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of May 27, OWWA has already spent P738 millions for assisting returning OFWs amid the COVID-19 threat.

Of this amount, the largest chunk of P606 million went for payment for hotels which served as quarantine facilities, P93 million for food, P19 million for miscellaneous and P17 million for transportation. — RSJ, GMA News