Philippines lifts temporary ban on OFW deployment to Saudi Arabia
The Philippine government on Saturday has lifted its temporary ban on the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to Saudi Arabia, clearing the way for over 400 workers left stranded due to COVID-19 protocol issues.
“After receipt of the official communication from the Saudi government this morning which ensures us that the foreign employers and agencies will shoulder the costs of institutional quarantine and other COVID protocols upon arrival in the KSA, the temporary suspension of deployment to the Kingdom is hereby lifted,” labor secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement.
Bello earlier issued a memorandum imposing a temporary ban “effective immediately and until further notice” pending clarification on who would pay for the costs of the institutional quarantine and COVID-19 testing of individual arriving into the Kingdom.
