Group prods gov’t to resolve OFWs deployment ban

A Filipino migrants’ rights group in the Middle East yesterday urged the Aquino government to resolve the issue on OFWs deployment ban in 41 countries as soon as possible saying “it causes confusions among OFWs and would-be OFWs and will result to proliferation of illegal deployment and human trafficking activities.”

Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) regional director John Leonard Monterona said: “It is prudent on the part of the Aquino government and the concerned government agencies to resolve this policy dilemma on OFWs deployment ban while trying to adhere on the provision of the Migrant Workers Act or RA 10022.”

Monterona added that it appeared that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) “certification process” of the 41 countries had not been done thoroughly and without regard to discussing and exploring with the host governments the protection of OFWs working in these countries.

“Minadali para mag-comply lang sa requirement and time frame of the law but the policy dilemma between intensified exportation of human labor and the supposed OFWs protection still there,” Monterona said.

Monterona added the certification has been done perfunctorily, thus even some of the 41 countries’ host governments protested the deployment ban.

Monterona said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board must withdraw and declared its Resolution 7, series of 2011, “null and void” which identified 41 countries wherein OFWs are not allowed to be deployed.

He also said that if the real problem of forced migration still persists with the government’s continued intensification of human labor exportation, the RP government will be facing this policy dilemma. –Daily Tribune