Palace: Hard to completely lift deployment ban while PH under state of calamity

MANILA, Philippines — The state of calamity placed over the entire Philippines due to COVID-19 makes it difficult to completely lift the overseas deployment ban on health workers, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“Malinaw po ang Presidente, habang mayroon po tayong state of calamity dahil sa COVID-19, mahihirapan pong i-lift iyang ban na iyan,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing when asked if there are chances for the President to totally lift the ban.

(The President was clear. As long as we are in a state of calamity due to COVID-19, it will be hard to lift this ban.)

President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the state of calamity over the country until September 2021.

“At habang ang mga nurses po ay papunta sa mga bansa na mas maraming kaso kaysa sa Pilipinas eh pangangalagaan pa rin po ng Presidente ang kalusugan ng ating mga frontliners,” Roque said.

(And as our nurses are going abroad where there are more cases compared to the Philippines, the President will choose to take care of our frontliners’ health.)

During a taped speech Monday night, Duterte appealed to health workers who were excluded from the overseas deployment ban exemption to stay in the Philippines and serve Filipinos.

This, after he allowed health workers with perfected contracts as of August 31 to leave the Philippines and work abroad.

JE