It will be difficult to lift the total overseas deployment ban on health workers while the country remains under a state of calamity until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte merely wants to protect the health of the health workers by restricting their deployment abroad. 

"Malinaw po ang Presidente, habang mayroon po tayong state of calamity dahil sa COVID-19, mahihirapan pong i-lift iyang ban na iyan (The President is clear. While we have a state of calamity due to COVID-19, it will be hard to lift the ban)," he said during a press briefing aired on state television.

"At habang ang mga nurses po ay papunta sa mga bansa na mas maraming kaso kaysa sa Pilipinas eh pangangalagaan pa rin po ng Presidente ang kalusugan ng ating mga frontliner (While the nurses are going to countries that have more cases compare to the Philippines, the President will ensure the protection of the health of our frontliners)," he said.

The President earlier allowed nurses with perfected overseas contracts as of August 28 to leave the country following appeals from workers' groups. 

Prior to his decision, health workers with complete documents as of March 8 were exempted from the deployment ban abroad. The migration ban has been imposed to augment the country's health workforce battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The President, in his public address Monday night, said he has nothing against the health professionals going abroad to earn good money. Duterte however appealed to other health workers to stay in the country and serve Filipinos until the pandemic is over.

"Sana ‘yung iba naman will have the spirit and the fervor to serve the Filipino people because we also need help and we have a crisis also to deal with," he said.

"Tor those who want to go out, puwede na ho. Pero naiwan naman, sana tagal-tagalan na lang muna ninyo (To those who want to go out, it's now allowed. But those left behind, I hope you stay longer) until after this COVID-19 will pass. It will come to pass," he added.

Last week, the President extended the state of calamity in the country until September 2021 to give the government ample leeway to use funds, including the quick response fund, in efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The calamity declaration will also enable the government to monitor and control prices of basic necessities and prime commodities, and provide basic services to the affected communities.