DOLE awaits updates to decide on deployment ban to Bahrain

The Department of Labor and Employment is waiting for recommendations from the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain to decide on whether to lift a deployment ban on returning workers there. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the ambassador there should give updates on the situation so the department can determine whether to lift the ban or not. "Naghihintay kami ng rekomendasyon ng ambassador who is in charge of giving us [an update on] the political situation and anong recommendation ibabase ang magiging decision kung bubuksan nang buo ang merkado," she said on government-run dzRB radio. Earlier, Migrante Middle East cited the improving situation in Bahrain, and urged the government to review its ban on the deployment of Filipinos there. It noted Nepal and Sri Lanka had already lifted their respective deployment bans on workers to Bahrain. "The lifting of [deployment] ban by the Nepalese and Sri Lankan governments have been made on the basis of the recent peace-and-order situation assessment in Bahrain, which is relatively peaceful now and did not anymore pose a great risks on their nationals to travel in Bahrain as compared to last [month's] situation," Migrante Middle East coordinator John Monterona said. The DFA raised the alert level in Bahrain to "2" last March. — JE/LBG, GMA News