Deployment of nurses abroad suspended as 5,000 quota reached – POEA

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) has suspended the deployment of nurses overseas after reaching the quota of 5,000, according to POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia.

“[T]he processing and issuance of overseas employment certificated and the deployment of new hires for healthcare workers are hereby suspended,” Olalia said in an advisory released over the weekend.

Olalia noted, however, that healthcare workers who have been issued with overseas employment certificates would be allowed to be deployed.

The government has put a temporary cap on deploying new-hire nurses to 5,000 last year amid the country’s battle against COVID-19.