POEA imposes total deployment ban to Libya

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued a resolution totally banning the deployment of Filipino workers to Libya, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said yesterday.

Baldoz said the deployment ban is in accordance with the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that raised the crisis alert level status in Libya from level 2 (restriction phase) to level 3 (voluntary repatriation phase) effective May 29 in view of the “worsening security situation” there.

Under the crisis alert level system, alert level 3 encourages Filipinos staying in a country to leave voluntarily as soon as possible with the Philippine government shouldering the cost of repatriation.

“We have received a communication from the DFA secretary on the new crisis alert level in Libya. Thus, the POEA governing board decided to impose a total deployment ban on the processing and deployment of all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for that country,” said Baldoz, who is also chairman of the board.

She maintained that there is no need yet to send an augmentation team to Libya, but the Department of Labor and Employment is ready to send one to assist the Philippine Overseas Employment Office if necessary.

“Our OFWs in Libya are highly skilled and this affords them protection. Based on our experience, OFWs in Libya are highly aware of their situation and this makes it easier for the government to deal with security and protection issues concerning them,” she added.

The labor chief urged OFWs in Libya to be calm and take precautionary measures to ensure their welfare and safety.

Vice President Jejomar Binay also reiterated his appeal to OFWs in Libya to come home and advised them to contact the Philippine embassy in Libya.

“I am appealing anew to our OFWs in Libya not to try their luck there anymore and return to the country immediately,” he said. “The situation there is now very dangerous. Our embassy there is ready to help all OFWs to return to the country.”

POEA records show the total deployment of new hires to Libya increased from 281 in 2012 to 4,093 in 2013. The total number of re-hires and new hires in Libya in 2013 was placed at 9,754.

In terms of deployment, Libya has an almost equal number of professional workers, technical and related workers, production and transport equipment workers and laborers.

 The Philippine embassy in Libya is in KM 7 Gargaresh Road, Abu Nawas, Tripoli. Its telephone numbers are (+218) 918244208 and (+218-21) 483-3966, and its official e-mail addresses are tripoli.pe@gmail.com and tripoli.pe@dfa.gov.ph. – With Jose Rodel Clapano