POEA on repatriation costs

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to coordinate with Philippine recruitment agencies deploying to Libya, in light of the current Alert Level 3, for purposes of closely monitoring their deployed workers and reporting to the POEA the status and working conditions of these workers. The POEA shall also remind concerned recruitment agencies with respect to their primary responsibility to immediately act on their deployed workers who wish to be voluntarily repatriated.

POEA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac clarified that, even as the Philippine government will shoulder costs of immediate repatriation of OFWs in Libya, Philippine recruitment agencies should be responsible enough to arrange for repatriation of their deployed workers in coordination with their employers and respective insurance companies, pursuant to the law on compulsory OFW insurance.