By Rey Anthony Chiu
PIA - Bohol
Out-migrating Boholanos may still ride on the surge of promising employment abroad, but are now banned from entering any job contracts especially in currently strife-torn countries of Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon.
This as the government spreads its mantle of protection to the modern-day heroes while making sure that they do not unnecessarily expose themselves to danger.
While exposure to undue risk in foreign lands and straining against homesickness just to be able send hard-earned cash to folks at home has become an occupational hazard for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) the prospects of employment abroad has become too tempting to refuse.
The occupational hazard however escalates in the four countries still torn by strife.
As the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issues a fairly bright prospect for local workers seeking employment abroad this year, the Philippines is also poised to completely ban deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to these named countries.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion has reiterated that the DOLE has issued the policy noting that despite an earlier ban it issued, the lure of high pay has always sluiced local workers through the backdoors aided by illegal recruiters.
Secretary Brion pressed that the government has enforced the OFW ban in Iraq since 2004, Lebanon in July of last year and Nigeria and Afghanistan last December.
“This is the first measure of protection that we can have for now because our workers are really at risk when they go to these places,†Brion said.
Even then, Brion said undocumented OFWs who are already in these countries and need assistance may seek the help of Philippine consulates and embassies in these areas as immediately as possible.
Such is so that the government can immediately seek measures to safeguard its citizens in foreign lands.
Meanwhile, as to the unsolved problem of illegal recruiters victimizing local workers, Brion said the DOLE is now coordinating with Vice President Noli de Castro for the creation of an inter-agency group to stop the illegal deployment of Filipinos in the four countries.
Brion said the lifting of the indefinite ban is subject to the assessment of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) if it deems it is already safe to deploy OFWs in any of these countries.
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