Camarines Sur Representative and National Unity Party president LRay Villafuerte has called on the government to only allow the deployment of highly-skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Iraq if the current ban is lifted.
Villafuerte made the request during a recent Commission on Appointment (CA) hearing, querying Ambassador to Iraq Charlie Pacana Manangan on his stance regarding new OFW deployments to Iraq.
Ambassador Manangan responded positively but emphasized the necessity of an intensive assessment of the prevailing conditions in Iraq. He indicated that while there have been sporadic incidents, the situation has stabilized compared to previous years.
Manangan revealed that currently deployed OFWs in Iraq include service workers, support staff for US military personnel, medical workers, and oil workers, with a small number of Filipino domestic helpers also present.
Villafuerte highlighted a 1982 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Manila and Baghdad on hiring migrant workers. The Ambassador acknowledged the MOA but mentioned it has been inactive for some time and might need renegotiation and updating.
Iraq, currently under ‘Alert Level 3’ by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), previously had a ‘Alert Level 4’ status, which enforced a total deployment ban and mandatory evacuation of OFWs.
The CA confirmed the appointments of Manangan and other diplomats and military officials. Last month, officials from the Philippines and Iraq convened for a Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) in Manila to enhance bilateral relations, during which Iraq expressed a desire for the Philippines to lift the three-year employment ban.