ni Mary Gutierrez Almirañez | May 29, 2021
Binawi ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ang temporary suspension sa deployment ng mga overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) papuntang Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), batay kay DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III ngayong araw, May 29.
Aniya, "After receipt of the official communication from the Saudi government this morning which ensures us that the foreign employers and agencies will shoulder the costs of institutional quarantine and other COVID protocols upon arrival in the KSA, the temporary suspension of deployment to the Kingdom is hereby lifted.”
Inabisuhan na rin ni Bello ang Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) upang ipatupad ‘immediately’ ang pagbawi sa naunang desisyon, sapagkat naging malinaw na sa kanila na KSA employers ang magbabayad sa 10-day quarantine at iba pang quarantine protocol requirements ng mga OFWs na ide-deploy sa Saudi, at hindi ang mismong OFW.
Giit pa ni POEA Administrator Bernand Olalia, “Ipinaliwanag na po nila na hindi dapat kasama ang OFWs doon sa travel advisory kung saan may pananagutan na mag-institutional quarantine, at magbayad ng COVID-19 tests at insurance coverage.”
Matatandaan namang mahigit 400 Saudi-bound OFWs ang na-stranded sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) nitong Biyernes dahil sa deployment suspension.
"I understand that the suspension order drew confusion and irritation among our affected departing OFWs. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience and momentary anguish that it may have caused our dear OFWs. It was to the best interest of our OFWs that such decision had to be made," sabi pa ni Bello.
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