No ban has been placed on workers heading to the Middle East, the Department of Migrant Workers said Tuesday, pushing back against circulating reports that 40,000 Overseas Filipino Workers have been stranded as a result of restricted deployment.
The clarification came as Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac sat down with licensed Philippine recruitment agencies to work through concerns affecting workers already in the region, those preparing to leave, and those seeking to return home.
Cacdac framed the meeting as a joint effort between government and the private sector. “Our shared responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of our OFWs, especially in times of crisis,” he said.
Despite alert levels issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs over conditions in parts of the Middle East, the DMW said these have not translated into a blanket deployment restriction. Recruitment agencies were separately directed to keep close tabs on their deployed workers and move quickly when assistance is needed.
Voluntary repatriation for OFWs and their dependents in the region is ongoing, with reintegration assistance available under directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The department is also revising its Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar to give outbound workers a sharper picture of security risks and conditions in their host countries before they leave.
