The Department of Labor and Employment on Wednesday said it is now seriously considering lifting the suspension on the deployment of health care workers.
But Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said if ever it will be lifted, there will be certain conditionalities.
"We are now seriously considering the lifting of the suspension of deployment but with certain conditionalities. Maybe we will put a cap," he said in an online forum.
"For example, we will allow the deployment of nurses and medical workers at the maximum of 5,000 a year," added Bello.
The labor chief said this is to also ensure that there will still be medical workers in the country in case the coronavirus pandemic worsens.
It was in April when the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) imposed a temporary suspension in the deployment 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 temporary suspension imposed by the POEA.
Malacanang later announced that healthcare workers with complete documents, as of August 31, are also allowed to be deployed.
Bello, meantime, revealed that President Duterte has already approved the request of medical workers to further extend the cut-off date from the current deadline of August 31.
"I mentioned to the President the appeal of nurses and medical workers to also include those who completed their papers as of September. There was a tacit approval by him so I immediately informed Admin (Bernard) Olalia about the approval of the President," he said.
"We are now submitting to IATF our recommendation that we will allow those that were able to complete their papers as of Sept. 30," said Bello.