Government Removes the Deployment Limit on Construction Workers Abroad

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is lifting the limit of overseas deployment of construction workers due to the increasing number of manpower requests made by hiring companies abroad.

POEA Chief Bernardo Olalia states that the government is now processing the deployment of Filipino construction workers to several countries, including the United States-run Guantanamo Bay Camp in Cuba. 

Olalia continued, “Based on reports coming from our various Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs), there are requests for the hiring of construction workers, so we have started processing in some of these countries.”

He also added that the government has opted to abolish the deployment limit of such workers abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the previous year, the decision of limiting the overseas deployment of construction workers was made to ensure that the country will have enough workforce for the government’s Build, Build, Build Program. 

Meanwhile, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III orders POLO in Saudi Arabia to resume the verification of employment documents for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). 

The order was issued after Saudi Arabia reopened its borders to foreign workers, including Filipinos, upon presenting negative COVID-19 cases. 

However, the POEA announced that the verification of documents must be limited to 50% of Saudi POLO’s usual volume. The limitation was declared to prioritize the staff’s safety and adhere to social distancing protocols, along with other health protocols placed in Saudi Arabia.