THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has lifted a deployment ban to India, green-lighting the sending of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there, except for household service workers (HSWs).
“The Department hereby advises that the deployment of overseas migrant workers to India, both new hires and rehires, may proceed, provided that their employment contracts are duly authenticated by the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, India,” the DMW said in Advisory No. 2-2023.
Household service workers, however, are still not allowed to be deployed to India.
“This advisory clarifies that the deployment of household service workers to the said country is not allowed until it is fully certified as a compliant country under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act,” the DMW said.
Last December, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) declared India as a “non-compliant country” under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act.
This meant the deployment of Filipino workers to India cannot be allowed as long as India is assessed as a “non-compliant country.”
The DMW said the deployment ban was lifted based on the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the appeal of reconsideration filed by OFWs bound for India.
“The DMW has sought advice from the DFA on reassessing the said issuance on behalf of the numerous requests for consideration from concerned workers,” the DMW, adding India has passed labor and social laws protecting workers’ rights, including migrants, and is already a party to core labor conventions.
The DMW said that while there is no bilateral labor agreement between the Philippines and India, there is an ongoing negotiation to provide Filipino migrant workers with social security coverage.
Records show there are around 2,000 OFWs currently based in India, most of them skilled workers and professionals, like engineers.
NURSES’ DEPLOYMENT
A former head of the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI) yesterday called on the DMW to consider increasing the deployment cap for nurses.
In a statement, recruitment industry leader Lito Soriano said they are hoping the DMW would consider their call or lift the cap altogether as soon as possible.
“We would want the deployment cap to be either raised or removed,” Soriano said, referring to the 7,500-deployment cap for nurses imposed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deployment cap was made to ensure there will be no shortage of medical workers in the country amid the global health crisis.
Soriano said they believe the deployment cap can be amended since COVID-19 cases are on a downward trend.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is under control, according to the Department of Health, with wearing of face masks now optional,” he said, adding there is a need for the country to increase deployment considering the high demand in other countries.
“There is a great demand for Filipino nurses in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and other European countries with huge salaries and chances of earning permanent residency,” Soriano said.
