Manila: The Philippine government has allowed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with existing contracts with oil and medical companies to return to their work in Libya, a senior official said.
The board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued a resolution saying that OFWs with contracts with medical and oil companies in Libya could return to work, Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a statement released by the labour department.
POEA's resolution "takes effect immediately," said Baldoz, adding that returning OFWs that belong to the medical and oil companies in Libya must show to the POEA proofs of their existing employments there.
The ban which prevented OFWs to return to work when they came home to the Philippines, has been lifted, but the Philippine government has not lifted its ban to deploy new OFWs to the civil-war damaged country, explained the labour secretary.
"That (total lifting of the deployment ban) will be determined at a future date and will be subject to further assessment to satisfy the government that enough guarantees exist to ensure the safety of our OFWs bound for Libya," said Baldoz, adding the Philippine government will change its policy only after it is assured that "there are enough safety guarantees for OFWs".
There are about nine million OFWs worldwide. The number represents 10 per cent of the 92 million population in the Philippines. The OFWs have been sending $ 18 billion to their loved ones every year.
