MANILA (UPDATE) - The Labor department on Wednesday rescinded a temporary suspension order on the deployment of Filipino workers to Qatar, just a day after announcing it.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the suspension was lifted only for workers with Overseas Employment Certificates (OEC), direct hires, and those under the Balik Manggagawa system or returning employees.

He also clarified that those undergoing processing are still not allowed to be deployed.

Bello said the lifting of the suspension came after the department was “101 percent” assured by the Qatari government that Filipino workers there are safe.

“They guarantee the safety of our OFWs that there will be no food shortage,” he said,

The labor chief added that contingency plans are already in place in Qatar in case tensions rise and there would be a need to repatriate Filipino workers.

“That is the instruction to our labor attaché, to give us an hourly report,” he said.

DOLE issued the now-canceled policy after several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, cut ties with Qatar on Monday accusing it of supporting extremism.

Doha, in response, denied the accusations and retaliated by saying its Gulf neighbors were seeking to put the country under "guardianship."

Bello had said they issued the temporary suspension as government expected possible problems in Qatar regarding food supplies since the country imports about 80 percent of its food requirements.