Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Wednesday that travel restrictions to China and its special administrative regions (SAR) should not cover Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
“Bello agreed with the position of DFA Sec. Locsin that, if possible, to lift the ban for OFWs because there is uncertainty on their part here,” he said.
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A number of OFWs were stranded after the government imposed a temporary travel ban on China, Macau and Hongkong due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The labor chief cited Health Secretary Francisco Duque’s recommendation to observe the situation before letting OFWs leave.
“We can’t gamble on the health of our workers,” Bello pointed out.
Meanwhile, Alfredo Palmiery, president of the Society of Hong Kong Accredited Recruiters of the Philippines (SHARP) urged the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to allow Hong Kong-bound workers with approved contracts, visas, and whose OECs (overseas employment certificate) were issued before the directive to return to their host countries of employment.
“If there will be no direct flights from Manila, we propose that they be allowed to depart via a 3rd country like Taiwan which has no flight suspensions yet to Hong Kong,” Palmiery said.
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According to Palmiery, 10,000 household service workers who returned to the country will lose their jobs if they will fail to return to their employers on time.
