‘No big drop in OFW hiring in Mideast’

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ruled out the possibility of a massive drop in overseas deployment of Filipino workers due to the decision of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to suspend flights to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Labor Undersecretary for Employment Danilo Cruz said PAL’s decision would not impact heavily on overseas employment because other airlines are expected to provide additional flights to accommodate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

"There may be current difficulty in getting airline bookings at this time but I am sure other airlines would eventually allow additional flights to accommodate growing requests for bookings," Cruz said in an interview.

He added that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is now taking appropriate steps to address the prevailing shortage of commercial flights to transport OFWs.

"The POEA has been tasked to take the proper steps and I am sure it will do everything to address the problem," Cruz said.

POEA chief Rosalinda Baldoz, for her part, gave assurances that she would meet with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) next week to discuss various measures to resolve the prevailing shortage of commercial flights. — Mayen Jaymalin, AP