DOLE partially lifts OFW deployment ban to Nigeria, Lebanon

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) partially lifted yesterday the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Nigeria and Lebanon.

The move came after the release of Winston Helera, 52, who was kidnapped in Nigeria along with 24 other Filipino workers there in January.

The kidnapping had prompted the Philippine government to impose a deployment ban on Nigeria, the biggest employer of Filipino workers in Africa. Some 3,900 Filipinos were employed there at the end of 2006.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the partial lifting of the ban will allow the processing and deployment of Filipino workers who are on vacation but are going to work with the same employer and work site in Nigeria.

He said OFWs with new contracts are still not allowed to leave.

The 25 workers were taken hostage by separatist groups seeking a greater share of Nigeria’s oil wealth for the inhabitants of the Niger Delta. The victims were held hostage aboard a vessel.

Brion said the deployment of OFWs to Lebanon, on the other hand, will be limited to three categories of workers.

Under the partial lifting, non-household service workers, or those working in hotels and other similar establishments, whether new hires or returning workers, will now be allowed to leave.

Returning household service workers will also be allowed to leave, provided they comply with the policy reforms being implemented by the Philippine government on household service workers.

The third category covers newly hired household service workers, which pertains to those who are hired by employers duly endorsed by the Philippine overseas labor offices.

These employers include family members of the heads of state or government ministers, deputy ministers and senior government officials of the same or equal rank of the host country, and members of diplomatic corps and duly recognized international organizations.

Their employers, however, are also required to comply with the policy reforms. This means that they must pay their worker a minimum of $400 a month and that no placement fee shall be charged to the worker.

Under the new policy, DOLE has imposed an age limit of 23 for household service workers who are also required to undergo skill enhancement training.

The Philippines imposed the deployment ban on Lebanon following a series of violent incidents between the United States-back Lebanese government and Hezbollah militants.

Brion said they decided to partially lift the ban because of the improved security conditions in both countries.

He said DOLE is still waiting for the full assessment report from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Special Task Force on Lebanon to determine if the ban should be completely lifted.