The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said they’re looking into the possibility of increasing the deployment cap of healthcare workers next year.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has temporarily suspended the processing of applications of healthcare workers who want to work overseas after reaching the 6,500 annual cap.
“Meron na namang panawagan ang mga healthcare workers kung maaari dagdagan. Sabi ko teka muna kausapin ko muna ulit yung PRC, yung Philippine Nurses Association at Department of Health kung kaya pang magpadala ng additional healthcare workers,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said in an interview on ABS-CBN News.
“Hindi natin masisisi ating mga healthcare workers kung gusto nilang mangibang bansa para makakuha naman sila ng sahod,” he said.
“Ang ating nurses are the most preferred medical worker sa buong mundo. Germany nga lang ilang beses na akong kinukulit ng ambassador nila. They need 15,000 nurses and healthcare workers kaya lang sabi ko hindi namin kaya yan,” Bello added.
In a separate briefing, Labor Assistant Secretary Nikki Tutay said that the country needs to produce 7,000-8,000 nurses this year, in order to increase the deployment cap next year to 10,500.