The Philippine Labour and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz (pictured), who is also the Chairman of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board, has announced that the Board had issued a resolution imposing a total ban on the deployment of Filipino overseas workers to Libya.
The resolution, Resolution No. 8, Series of 2014, imposes a total ban on the deployment of OFWs to Libya following the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs which has raised effective 29 May the crisis alert level status for Libya from Crisis Alert Level 2 (Restriction Phase) to Crisis Alert Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation Phase) in view of the worsening security situation in that country.
Secretary Baldoz signed the governing board resolution, together with POEA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Governing Board Vice Chairman Felix Oca, Estrelita Hizon, Alexander Asuncion, and Milagros Isabel Cristobal.
In the DFA's crisis alert level system, Alert Level 3 requires Filipino nationals staying in a country are encouraged to leave voluntarily as soon as possible, with the Philippine government spending for the cost of the repatriation.
"We have received a communication from the DFA Secretary on the new crisis alert level in Libya. Thus, the Governing Board decided to impose a total deployment ban on the processing and deployment of all OFWs bound for that country," said Baldoz.
