DOLE: No Israel deployment

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government has ordered a ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Israel due to escalating hostilities there.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said yesterday that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) governing board has approved a resolution imposing a deployment ban to Israel.

“After consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the POEA ordered a deployment ban due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas armed conflict,” Baldoz said.

The labor chief said the imposition of the deployment ban is for the protection of Filipino workers in Israel.

Baldoz noted that the DFA had raised security alert level 4 in certain areas in Israel prior to the imposition of deployment ban.

However, the DFA only raised alert level 2 in Southern and Central Israel, including Sderot, Beersheva, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that limits the deployment to vacationing and returning workers.

Baldoz said the POEA has suspended the processing and deployment of newly hired workers to Southern and Central Israel.

Earlier, the DFA warned Filipino tourists of the risks of traveling to Israel because of the prevailing armed conflict in the Gaza Strip.