The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has requested the Interagency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow some 600 nurses to leave the country amid the government's temporary deployment ban on Filipino health care workers.
During the Senate labor committee's hearing on Tuesday, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Bernard Olalia said the DOLE has recommended to the IATF to lift the deployment suspension for at least 600 nurses.
Olalia said the request was made following the DOLE and POEA's consultation with the health care industry, when the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) appealed to allow 600 nurses whose departures where affected by the travel ban.
"Ang recommendation po ng (The recommendation of) DOLE is the lifting of the ban with respect to the 600 health care workers na nirequest ng PNA (that the PNA has requested)," he reported to senators.
The POEA administrator said it is now up to the IATF to decide whether or not to approve of this request.
"At least, medyo good news to para sa ating mga health workers na ready to go na abroad, na kahit papaano meron pa lang move ngayon na i-lift na itong ban for health workers (this is quite a good news for our health workers who are ready to go abroad, that at least there is a move to lift this ban for health workers)," Senator Nancy Binay said after Olalia's announcement.
Senator Joel Villanueva, labor committee chairman, said he and his colleagues will continue to follow this up with the IATF.
The IATF issued last week Resolution No. 64, which suspends the overseas deployment of the medical and allied health workers, citing the POEA Governing Board's Resolution No. 9-2020 that was adopted in April.
Olalia said exemption to health workers with perfected and signed work contracts as of March 8 remains, as well as for "Balik-Manggagawa" workers, or those who have been working abroad but are only here on vacation.
He said they have allowed an average of 300 overseas Filipino workers to leave the country per month since the deployment ban was implemented.
'Better' offers abroad
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) admitted that overseas health workers still prefer to work abroad than in the country due to "better" job offers.
Dr. Kenneth Ronquillo, director for the DOH's health planning and systems development team, said the agency has so far hired 7,850 health care workers, out of the 10,468 slots that have been approved under its emergency hiring program.
The DOH initially planned to contract 16,500 health workers to augment the country's health capacity in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, of the 1,700 overseas health workers who have returned to the country, 209 have expressed interest to be employed but only 109 of them actually submitted their documents.
Short term contracts with gov’t
Ronquillo said they are having difficulties "getting applicants to work" because the government offers short-term job contracts. Contracts would last up to December 31 this year as approved under its budget.
"And although we say that it will be renewed in the 2021 budget, our health workers, OFWs, are also looking for jobs that are more stable...Mas gugustuhin pa rin nilang lumabas ata ng bansa kasi mas maganda naman po 'yong offer kaysa 'yong binibigay ng ating gobyerno as of yet (They still prefer to leave the country because the job offers are better than the what the government offers as of yet)," he said.
"Even if we assure them na 'yong kontrata natin ay hanggang ngayong taon pa lang, tapos pwede irenew pag naapprove na 'yong 2021 budget, parang kulang pa po 'yon na assurance sa kanila (that their contracts could be renewed if the 2021 budget is approved, it is not enough to assure them)," he said.
Villanueva echoed the concerns of the migrant health workers, citing complaints reaching his office.
No security of tenure
"One of the main reasons why they don't want to be part of it is...parang ma-endo rin sila, walang security of tenure, security of their jobs," he said.
He also cited their discontent over the salaries offered to them, and the failure or delay in the grant of their hazard pay.
"I don't see anything enticing for our medical health workers para sumama po sila (to join the government health workforce)," said the senator.
Rationale for IATF decision on ban
Villanueva asked for clarification on the rationale behind the IATF's decision to suspend the deployment of health workers abroad, as well as targets on how many medical frontliners are needed to "sufficiently address the current public health emergency".
"Otherwise hindi malinaw po ito, talagang mangangapa tayo nang mangangapa at masasabing hindi konkreto itong plano natin para sa ating mga health workers (it will remain vague, and we will keep guessing, and we will prove that the government has no concrete plans for our health workers)," he said.
Under the emergency hiring program, nurses are offered at least P32,053 or similar to the basic pay of entry-level government nurses at Salary Grade 15. They are also given allowances, hazard pay, life insurance and other benefits under existing laws.
Ronquillo said that with the enactment of the proposed Bayanihan 2, which gives additional benefits to health workers, more overseas health care workers will be encouraged to apply.