3 countries exempted from hiring policy

MANILA, Philippines – Giving in to the clamor from overseas Filipino workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has exempted three countries from the government’s new hiring policy.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) governing board approved in principle the exemption of employers from Canada, Italy and Hong Kong from posting repatriation and performance bonds prior to hiring Filipino workers.

“The resolution providing the exemption will come out within the week and will be implemented immediately,” Brion told reporters.

Brion noted that the POEA board agreed to approve the exemption after the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in Italy and Hong Kong presented proof that there is no need to require employers to post repatriation and performance bonds.

“There is no need for foreign employers to post the bonds because protection mechanisms for Filipino workers there are already in place,” Brion pointed out.

Brion added that employers from Canada are also exempted because the Philippines and Canada already forged an agreement providing a protection mechanism for Filipino workers there.

“But as a general rule, the policy stays because our policy is really private agencies are the ones to recruit workers for deployment abroad,” Brion said.

OFWs from various countries are demanding the lifting of the new policy, which they claimed discourages foreign employers from hiring Filipinos.

Brion came out with the policy on Jan. 15 which policy requires foreign employers directly hiring Filipino workers or those who secure employment abroad on their own to post a repatriation bond of $5,000 and performance bond of $3,000 per worker.