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FRONT LINES. Medical workers take a moment to give a solidarity applause for their front-line colleagues outside the doors of the Santa Ana Hospital in Manila on April 9, 2020. Photo by Alecs Ongcal / Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government is allowing all health workers with contracts in effect from March 8 to leave the country to work on board.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesperson for the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Coronavirus Pandemic, said Tuesday, April 14, that the IATF has adopted a resolution that eases restrictions on the ban on the deployment of health workers. (READ: PH to lift the ban on deployment of health workers with existing contracts)
“All medical and allied health professionals with perfected overseas employment contracts signed from March 8, 2020 may be deployed abroad,” Nograles said in a briefing.
Other workers who have not signed contracts as of March 8 will be covered by the The Philippine Employment Administration Abroad (POEA) deployment ban for healthcare workers as the country struggles to contain the growing number of patients with coronavirus.
Nograles said that health workers who will go abroad must complete a statement indicating that they know and understand the risks of going abroad, as advised by the Philippine government.
The government amended the travel ban amid outrage over the sudden implementation of the new policy on Friday, April 10, when nurses from the UK National Health Service were unable to catch their flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Among those who opposed the deployment ban was Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who promised to “fight it” as it violates the Constitution.
Many of these workers, including nurses, have chosen to work abroad. due to low wages and poor working conditions in their country of origin.
Nograles touted the IATF decision to ease restrictions on those with existing contracts as a “win-win” solution resulting from discussions of the Philippines’ needs during the coronavirus outbreak, as well as relevant laws on Filipino law to work abroad.
Along with this, Nograles said the Health Department was ordered to undergo the emergency hiring of health workers to help care for the growing number of coronavirus patients. The hiring will be subject to review by Budget and Management Department.
Despite this, President Rodrigo Duterte spoke out while “agreeing” with the health workers’ decision to leave, and asked them to remain in the country during the coronavirus outbreak.
As of Monday, the Philippines had 4,932 cases of coronavirus, with 315 deaths and 242 recoveries. – Rappler.com
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