THE government is allowing 100 recruitment agencies to send Filipino healthcare workers abroad.
At the Laging Handa public briefing, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported having given clearance to compliant manpower pooling agencies to deploy Filipino health workers for overseas jobs following the lifting of the deployment ban.
“Tayo po sa POEA ay patuloy pong nagpo-proseso ng HCWs tulad ng nurses, nursing aides at nursing assistants kung saan gusto po nilang magtrabaho sa abroad. Meron na po tayong mga datos, halos mga less than 100 ‘yung napo-proseso natin na agencies na nagpa-process ng new hires patungo ng UK, Germany at ibang bahagi pa ng mundo,” POEA undersecretary Bernard Olalia said.
The government earlier hinted a maximum of 5,000 healthcare workers to be deployed per annum. Departure starts January next year.
Olalia said the deployment does not include those returning workers who have existing or live contracts with their employers abroad, adding that the POEA will assess whether to recommend additional deployment of healthcare workers after the maximum cap has been reached.
“Kung matutugunan po natin ang pangangailangan natin dito sa ating sariling bansa at medyo bumababa na po ‘yung bilang ng mga naapektuhan ng COVID-19, maganda pong senyales ‘yan, lalo po kung hindi po apektado ‘yung supply ng nurses dito,” Olalia added.
President Rodrigo Duterte in November lifted the deployment ban on Filipino health workers.