'No permanent deployment ban to Korea'

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang denied yesterday reports that there is a total ban on sending Filipino workers to South Korea, clarifying that labor deployment has merely been suspended until hostilities ease on the Korean peninsula.

Undersecretary Abigail Valte also reiterated that the 55 Filipino workers whose papers have been processed by the Department of Labor and Employment have been advised to defer their travel to South Korea at least for the entire week after which the tension could ease.

“The deferment is only for this week. The others are not affected. They will make the announcement in due time. It’s not a ban on all departing OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) for December. That’s what we’d like to clarify,” said Valte, whose statements were echoed by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

“The deployment of the 55 who are supposed to leave this week was deferred. It’s only for the week. There is no ban. The assessment of the government team is that it might be best to be more prudent at this point,” Valte told government-run radio dzRB.

The government is assessing the situation in North and South Korea on a weekly or periodic basis, she added.

“We should look at the developments in the next couple of days so that our OFWs will not be in harm’s way, to avert any possible negative developments. Let’s wait and see what happens in the next couple of days. We are still hoping the tension will ease and pass.”

It was President Aquino’s instruction to evaluate the situation in the Korean Peninsula, so that the government can act correspondingly if there is a need to evacuate the OFWs.

The President has suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to South Korea while the government assesses the situation in the Korean Peninsula, as tensions continue to rise following North Korea’s artillery attacks Tuesday on a tiny island claimed by Seoul.

Aquino made the decision upon the advice of his security cluster and of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment.

“The decision to hold the deployment of workers was a result of the government team’s decision, upon the President’s instructions, to assess the situation continually and take the corresponding action,” Valte told reporters.

There are more than 46,000 Filipino workers in the Korean peninsula, mostly in South Korea. Undocumented workers reportedly number 11,000.

The President earlier called for a more concrete evacuation and contingency plan to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the Korean peninsula.

The Philippines had asked Japan to open its doors to Filipino evacuees in the event of a full-blown war. “Hopefully, there would be no need for us to use the contingency plan,” Valte said. – With Mayen Jaymalin