POEA: Less than 900 slots left out of 6,500-cap for health workers deployed abroad

MANILA, Philippines — Only “less than 900” slots are left out of the 6,500 annual deployment ceiling of newly hired healthcare workers (HCW) abroad, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said Thursday.

“Halos mauubos na po yung 6,500 dahil sa patuloy na pagdedeploy ng HCWs sa countries of destination. Kung hindi po ako magkakamali, less than 900 na lang po ang naiiwan doon sa 6,500 na cap,” POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said in a televised briefing.

(The 6,500 slots are nearly filled because we continuously deploy HCWs to countries of destination. If I’m not mistaken, less than 900 are left out of the 6,500 cap.)

“Kaya patuloy pa po tayong tumatanggap ng application at saka hiring and deployment po ng mga HCWs natin lalong lalo na po yung mga nurses,” he added.

(That’s why we continue to accept applications, we’re still hiring and deploying HCWs, especially our nurses.)

In June, the deployment of nurses abroad was suspended after the initial 5,000 cap for the deployment of newly hired HCWs was reached. The cap was imposed in 2020 amid the country’s battle against COVID-19.

The government eventually increased the annual deployment ceiling to 6,500 following calls from health workers who want to go abroad.

je