PrisoNurses, an informal group of nurses, thanked President Duterte on Monday for allowing nurses and other health professionals with valid contracts and complete documents as of August 31 to leave for abroad.
The group said the move would lead to more nurses being able to pursue their nursing careers abroad.
"We would like to thank you for allowing Filipino nurses who are affected by the existing deployment ban for medical workers to continue with their applications for overseas work," PrisoNurses said in a letter.
"Consequently, the exemption of those nurses who have completed and signed their contracts on August 31 would lead to more nurses being able to pursue their nursing careers abroad," it further read.
The group said although leaving their families behind is never easy, hard decisions have to be made to better the lives of their loved ones in the country.
According to PrisoNurse, the deployment ban which has been existing for more than six months already has brought "numerous sacrifices and struggles for most of our nurses and their loved ones."
"So we implore your help and beseech you to lift the ban totally, so the rest of those who are still affected can start with their lives anew," the group said.
It was last April when the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) imposed a deployment ban for selected types of health workers citing the dwindling human resources in local hospitals and medical facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the list are medical doctor/physician, nurse, microbiologist molecular biologist, medical technologist, clinical analyst, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, laboratory technician, X-ray/radiologic technician, nursing assistant/nursing aide, operator of medical equipment, supervisor of health services and personal care, and repairman of medical-hospital equipment.
The Inter Agency Task Force later ordered the exemption of healthcare workers with perfected and signed contract as of March 8 from the deployment ban imposed by the POEA.