POEA explains 5,000 cap on deployment abroad of healthcare workers

by Leslie Ann Aquino, Manila Bulletin, 23 Nov 2020

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Monday explained why there is a 5,000 cap on the deployment of healthcare workers.

In an online forum of the Department of Labor and Employment, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said a cap was put in place due to the COVID-2019 pandemic.

“We still need to address the current pandemic, particularly the need for workers in the medical field,” he said.

“If we allow everyone to be deployed, we may have a problem once it is us who will need healthcare workers,” Olalia added.

Asked how it will be implemented, he said, they are still waiting for a copy of the official resolution of the Inter Agency Task Force.

“We are still trying to get information on the actual language of the IATF-EID resolution. Will it be referring to new hires only? Private deployment? Are those under the government-to-government deployment included? We will know once we are able to get a copy of the resolution,” said Olalia.

While waiting for the IATF resolution, he said, they started processing the papers of healthcare workers set for deployment.

“The processing also takes time so we can start,” Olalia said.

On Saturday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said President Duterte has already approved the proposal to lift the temporary suspension of deployment of healthcare workers but the Philippines will only allow 5,000 healthcare workers to leave every year to ensure that there are enough HCWs in the country during the health emergency.

It was in April when the POEA imposed a temporary suspension in the deployment for selected types of health workers citing the dwindling human resources in local hospitals and medical facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the list are medical doctor/physician, nurse, microbiologist molecular biologist, medical technologist, clinical analyst, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, laboratory technician, X-ray/radiologic technician, nursing assistant/nursing aide, operator of medical equipment, supervisor of health services and personal care, and repairman of medical-hospital equipment.