Labor Secretary and chairperson of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Silvestre Bello signed an order that restricts medical front liners from leaving the country "until the national state of emergency is lifted.”
The POEA cited a provision of RA 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act at which the Executive has been given the power to tap more health workers as additional manpower as the country combats the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Covered by the temporary overseas deployment ban are medical doctors, nurses, microbiologists, molecular biologists, medical technologists, clinical analysts, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, X-ray or radiologic technicians, nursing assistants or aide, operators of medical equipment, supervisor of health services and personal care and repairmen of medical equipment The POEA also suspended the bilateral labor agreements for government-to-government deployment of healthcare workers until the duration of the national state of emergency. "It is of paramount national interest to ensure that the country shall continue to have, sustain the supply of, and prepare sufficient health personnel to meet any further contingencies, especially to replace, substitute or reinforce existing workforce currently employed, deployed or utilized locally," the POEA order read. The overseas employment department likewise said that health workers will still be prevented from leaving unless travel restrictions to their destination countries due to COVID-19 are lifted.
President Rodrigo Duterte, on March 17, placed the entire country under a state of calamity for six (6) months “unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant.”
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