The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has temporarily stopped sending newly-hired overseas Filipino workers (OFW) to Myanmar, after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) hoisted a crisis Alert Level 2 (Restriction Phase) in the said country.
Myanmar is witnessing high tensions at the moment due to the takeover of its government by its military since February.
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The POEA Governing Board (GB) had recently issued Resolution 2 imposing the temporary deployment ban on its workers, considering the ongoing political turmoil in the Southeast Asian country.
However, the temporary deployment will not apply to returning OFWs with existing employment contracts.
The POEA — in a related development – reminded that the public Advisory 73, series of 2021 issued in February last year about deployment for OFWs in Lebanon, also remains in effect. The reminder was issued due to some unscrupulous individuals were illegally recruiting aspiring OFWs for deployment in Lebanon.
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POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia warned the public that recruitment and placement of Filipinos for deployment to Lebanon remained prohibited until the suspension is lifted. He also noted that the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon expressed concerns over undocumented workers falling victims to human trafficking, human rights abuses and labor contract violations.
The POEA is working with concerned authorities in investigating these recruitment incidents.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Archbishop of Davao Romulo G. Valles, and Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, urged for prayers towards peaceful resolutions of the political tension in Myanmar. (AW)
