Phl halts deployment of workers to Bahrain

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has indefinitely suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Bahrain following the declaration of a three-month emergency rule in the troubled Arab nation.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that the deployment ban will not cover those who are already employed there, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be returning to the strife-torn country.

Baldoz said returning workers to Bahrain only need to submit an affidavit, explaining that they are aware of the risks of returning there. Hundreds have been hurt with five fatalities as Bahrain’s security forces attempted to break the protesters line Wednesday.

“Pursuant to the travel advisory on the security situation in Bahrain, you are hereby instructed to immediately effect the deferment in the processing and deployment of all newly-hired workers to Bahrain,” Baldoz said, directing the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

“Returning workers will be allowed to travel back to Bahrain provided they execute an affidavit that they know the security risk in the country,” she added.

A team from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been deployed to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, to assess the situation in the area.

In an interview, DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario said the group will study the viability of the government’s contingency measures in case there is a need for a mandatory repatriation of more than 31,000 OFWs.

“We send the team to validate our contingency plans. Hopefully we can do it better and fast with our repatriation experience in Libya,” he pointed out.

Early Wednesday, more than 1,300 security forces from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, swept through the country’s capital of anti-government protesters.

“These are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council that came for the aid of Bahrain,” he said.

Alert level 2 is strictly observed in the area, meaning, no mandatory repatriation is in effect while movements of Filipino in the area are restricted.

He explained that they will “most likely” implement the same evacuation plans that it implemented in Libya in February. That is, to isolate the OFWs in the high-risk areas and transport them to safer countries such as Saudi Arabia or Qatar.

The DFA chief assured that the government is doing everything possible in “protecting our people abroad”.

“We promote national security. We enhance economic diplomacy, and more importantly we do everything to protect the welfare of Filipinos working abroad,” he concluded.