POEA defers OFW ban for 90 days as requested by DFA

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has approved a 90-day deferment period on the deployment ban in 41 countries as requested by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Friday. Baldoz — also the POEA governing board chief — confirmed that the DFA sent them an official communication withdrawing the certifications that formed the basis of the ban. “Nagpasa na rin ang POEA governing board ng resolution na igina-grant ‘yung 90-day [deferment period]," she told GMA News Online on the sidelines of the National Domestic Workers Summit. Earlier, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said they will revisit the 41 countries affected by the ban to reassess working conditions there "with the view… [to] moving toward compliance" of the amended Migrant Workers Act (RA 10022). Labor and Foreign Affairs are working closely toward forging bilateral agreements with destination countries tagged as "non-compliant" or "partially compliant." The Labor chief added they are looking at DFA to initiate the move because “they are dealing with other countries, especially in the political aspect," she added. “Kung ano ‘yung inaakala ng DFA doon na may interest na umupo para makipag-negotiate, then ‘yun ang aming tututukan," she said. On Nov. 2, the POEA released Board Resolutions 6 and 7 — one listed 76 countries as “OFW-friendly," the other imposing a ban on 41 destinations, respectively. The ban was supposed to take effect on Nov. 18, but it spawned confusion among the affected countries and the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there. It also raised concerns among migrant labor advocates. Hernandez earlier said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario “wanted the effectivity of the ban delayed" to give Philippine diplomats time to dialogue with the affected countries and avoid any diplomatic backlash. — VS/HS, GMA News