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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Better safe than sorry: DOLE not in a rush to send 400 caregivers to Israel

Better safe than sorry: DOLE not in a rush to send 400 caregivers to Israel

Published May 26, 2021 05:52 pm

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is taking a cautious approach as to when it would greenlight the deployment of the 400 Filipino caregivers who were supposed to be sent to the Israel before the eruption of violence there.

(Photo by Oleg Vakhromov / Unsplash)

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that while there is now a ceasefire in place between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, it would still be best to employ a wait-and-see attitude.

"Sabi ko mayroon nang ceasefire, but before I will decide to start deploying, I need time to ascertain kung yung mga nag-pirma ng ceasefire agreement ay tutupad yan (There is a ceasefire, but before I will decide to start deploying, I need time to ascertain if the signatories to the ceasefire agreement would stand by their word)," Bello said in a virtual press briefing Wednesday, May 26.

"I just want to be very sure na kung mayroon pa kaming deployment, talagang guaranteed yung safety ng mga workers (I just want to be very sure that in case there is deployment, the workers' safety is guaranteed)," he said.

Last week, Bello halted the deployment process of the 400 caregivers amid the high tension in Israel. The group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were scheduled for deployment within the month.

A few days after this, a ceasefire was brokered between the two clashing factions, ending weeks of rocket attacks and fighting on the ground.

Despite his remarks, Bello said that he wouldn't hesitate to send Filipino workers to Israel for as long as "we are assured that our workers, when they are deployed there, are safe and properly and efficiently protected".

"Binaba na ng DFA yung Alert Level sa Israel from 2 to 1, so pwede na (The DFA has lowered the Alert Level in Israel from 2 to 1, so that means deployment is no longer suspended)," he noted.

He said that the overseas employment certificate (OEC) of the 400 caregivers could be processed after one week.

But it would take another two to three weeks before their actual deployment to Israel could commence, the DOLE chief said.

Bello said that as per Philippine labor officials in Isreal, no Filipino was hurt or killed during the three-week long hostilities there. There are an estimated 30,000 OFWs in the foreign land.

Related Tags

Israel Silvestre Bello III DEPLOYMENT caregivers OFW dole
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