Less than 100 agencies get OK to send healthcare workers abroad — POEA

Dean, who asked that her surname not be used, is photographed at her family’s home in Caloocan City, Metro Manila, Philippines September 2, 2020, with boxes of documents she used to apply for a nursing job in the UK. Picture taken September 2, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA, Philippines — Less than 100 agencies have received the approval of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to deploy healthcare workers (HCWs) abroad, POEA Usec. Bernard Olalia said on Saturday.

This, after President Rodrigo Duterte, allowed the lifting of the deployment ban on HCWs.

“Magmula po nung  nagpasa ng governing board resolution ang ating POEA  dahil sa pag-apruba ng ating mahal na Pangulo, yung pong lifting ng ating temporary suspension ng ating HCWs, 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,” he said.

(After our governing board passed a resolution because of the President’s approval on the lifting of the temporary suspension on our HCWs, we at the POEA are still processing  HCWs such as nurses, nursing aides, and nursing assistants who want to work 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 kung saan meron po tayong ugnayan dun sa high risk ng mga HCWs,” he added.

(We have data where we are processing less than 100 agencies for hires to the UK, Germany and other parts of the world where we have coordinated for high risk HCWs.)

Starting Jan. 1 next year, the POEA will impose an annual deployment ceiling of 5,000 on newly hired health workers disaggregated by occupation.

/MUF