Labor chief wants more nurses exempted from overseas ban

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Tuesday he wants more nurses to be exempted from an overseas deployment ban meant to ensure that the Philippines would have enough medical workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Only medical workers who have completed requirements as of March 8 can currently pursue their employment contract abroad, said Bello.

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He said he urged the inter-agency task force on COVID-19 to extend the exception from the deployment ban to workers who completed their requirements as of August 31.

If the IATF approves the suggestion when it meets on Thursday, 1,200 nurses can go abroad, he said.

“Marami pang maiiwan… Hindi masyadong madi-dislocate ang ating medical services dito,” he told ANC.

Recently, 7 nurses exempted from the ban were barred from leaving for the UK.

“It was just a case of an oversight by the Bureau of Immigration
They have already corrected it,” Bello said of the incident.

Watch his interview here.

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ANC, Sept. 8, 2020