The new list of countries that comply with Philippine government standards that protect overseas Filipino workers (OFW) does not include six top OFW destinations.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) released two board resolutions on Wednesday November 02, 2011 — one that approves OFW deployment to 76 countries and another that bans OFWs from 41 nations.
The countries were classified according to Republic Act 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers Act.
However, six of the top ten destinations for OFWs were not found on both lists. These include:
1. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the top OFW destination in 2010;
2. United Arab Emirates (UAE), the second in last year's top 10 destinations;
3. Qatar (fourth);
4. Singapore (fifth);
5. Kuwait (sixth); and
6. Bahrain (ninth)
According to the POEA, OFWs can still be sent to these countries, which would be subject to "further review and evaluation."
In May, the POEA’s Governing Board (GB) Resolution No. 2 listing 76 countries that were OFW-friendly.
Resolution No. 2 said, “In the meantime, the deployment of OFWs to these countries [not included in the list] shall continue except where deployment ban is in effect."
On Wednesday, POEA's Resolution No. 6 identified 49 more countries that were OFW-friendly.
Meanwhile, GB Resolution No. 7— also released on Wednesday— banned deployment to 41 countries.
Resolution No. 2 was issued around two months after RA 10022 lapsed into law. The list of OFW countries included:
4 countries in Africa;
21 in North and South America;
32 in Europe;
17 in Asia Pacific; and
2 in the Middle East.
Deployment ban
In an interview on dzBB radio, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the ban will affect “a little over 200" OFWs, who can avail of the government’s integration program if they wish to return home.
The POEA is an attached agency of the DOLE.
Baldoz, who also heads the governing board that issued the resolutions, also said the countries on the list are not considered major receiving countries.
Many of the OFWs in these countries will not be affected by the ban since they were deployed by globally operated companies, she added.
OFW-friendly
According to Section 3 of RA 10022, “the State shall allow the deployment of overseas Filipino workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected."
The section provides that the Philippines will allow deployment if the host country:
· has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers;
· is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers; and
· has conducted a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs.
The POEA will publish the resolutions in two newspapers of general circulation and will take effect 15 days after publication.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Baldoz said, "GB Resolution No.7, specifies a list of 41 countries where OFWs cannot be deployed for non-compliance with the guarantees required under R.A. 10022."
Baldoz said the Philippine government can consider as 'compliant' countries taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers based on the provisions of RA 10022.
She clarified that non-compliant countries may push for bilateral agreements with the Philippines to address the "non-compliances."
She also said Filipino workers can still be deployed to companies with international operations in non-compliant "unless there is an existing ban to that country.
The Philippine government has an existing deployment ban to conflict affected countries like Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and partial ban to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed on Wednesday the list of 41 countries where overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) cannot be deployed or ban for deployment.
The list includes prohibited prime destinations like (Ban of Deployment of OFWs or OFW is not allowed to work in the following countries :)
1. Afghanistan
2. Lebanon
3. Libya.
Aside from these three major OFW destinations, other non-compliant countries included
4. Antigua and Barbuda
5. Barbados
6. Cambodia
7. Cayman Islands
8. Chad
9. Croatia
10. Cuba
11. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea
12. Dominica
13. East Timor or Timor Leste
14. Eritrea
15. Haiti
16. India
17. Iraq
18. Kyrgyzstan or Kyrgyz Republic
19. Lesotho.
20. Mali
21. Mauritania
22. Montenegro
23. Mozambique
24. Nauru
25. Nepal
26. Niger
27. Pakistan
28. Palestine
29. Serbia
30. St. Kitts and Nevis
31. St. Lucia
32. St. Vincent and Grenadines
33. Sudan
34. Swaziland
35. Tajikistan
36. Tonga
37. Turks and Caicos
38. Tuvalu
39. US Virgin Islands
40. Vanuatu
41. Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, POEA also issued the list of 49 compliant countries on Wednesday, which means OFWs are allowed to work in the following 49 countries which includes
1. Armenia
2. Bahamas
3. Bangladesh
4. Belarus
5. Benin
6. Bermuda
7. Burkina Faso
8. Burundi
9. Cameroon
10. Cape Verde
11. Central African Republic
12. Comoros
13. Congo Republic
14. Cook Islands
15. Democratic Republic of Congo
16. Denmark
17. Equatorial Guinea
18. Fiji
19. Gabon
20. Gambia
21. Ghana
22. Grenada
23. Guinea
24. Guinea Bissau
25. Guyana.
26. Iceland
27. Ivory Coast or Cote d’Ivoire
28. Jordan
29. Kazakhstan
30. Liberia
31. Madagascar
32. Malawi
33. Malta
34. Mauritius
35. Morocco
36. Nigeria
37. Norway
38. Puerto Rico
39. Rwanda
40. Sao Tome and Principe
41. Senegal
42. Seychelles
43. Sierra Leone
44. Tanzania
45. Togo
46. Trinidad and Tobago
47. Tunisia
48. Uganda
49. Ukraine
This brings the total number of compliant countries to 125.
In order for the listed 41 listed countries to be open for OFW, those countries must have to comply the standard required by the Philippines government.
East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea who have a construction business in the 41 listed ban countries for OFW are not allowed to hire OFW for deployment to the above listed 41 ban countries like Engineers, Accountant, professionals and any skilled Filipinos.
