MANILA, Philippines—The total ban against the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq remains, but the thousands of Filipinos working in military facilities of the United States in the war-torn country may continue working there until their contracts expires.
These policies were issued by the high-level inter-agency committee mandated to assess the security situation of and ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino workers in Iraq, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a news release.
The inter-agency committee made the recommendation three weeks after the arrival of Special Envoy Roy Cimatu from Iraq.
“According to the task force, Filipino workers currently employed by the US government or their subcontractors inside US military bases and facilities will be allowed to continue working in Iraq on the condition that their safety is assured and there will be guaranteed repatriation to the Philippines at the end of their engagement,” the DFA said.
From an initial estimate of 8,000 overseas Filipino workers in the war-torn country, the DFA said there are now only some 2,000 overseas Filipino workers in US military bases and facilities in Iraq.
The DFA said this high-level decision has been communicated to US authorities through the Philippine embassies in Washington DC and Baghdad “as the basis for the Filipino nationals working inside the US bases to be considered compliant with previous US directive of repatriating non-compliant foreign workers.”
Late July, the US military in Iraq ordered the immediate repatriation of third-country nationals whose countries prohibit them from working there. The order prompted Cimatu’s trip. OFWs in Iraq have opposed the ban, arguing that they are safe inside the US military facilities.
US troops are already leaving Iraq, in compliance with an order of US President Barack Obama.
The inter-agency task force is composed of the Department of Labor and Employment, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of the Executive Secretary. –Veronica Uy, INQUIRER.net
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