Philippines lifts ban on Workers deploying to Saudi Arabia
The Philippines said Today that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the Kingdom said they would not be charged for Corona virus tests and quarantine upon arrival.
Filipino workers of Saudi Arabia will no longer be disadvantaged, confirms Labour Secretary Silverstre Bello. Philippine Airlines said it is accepting Filipino workers on flights to Dammam and Riyadh, waiving rebooking fees for passengers who were unable to board because of deployment ban. Related : Philippines temporarily suspends deployment of OFWs to Saudi Arabia
- The Labour Secretary apologized for the inconvenience and momentary anguish caused by his Thursday ban, saying, "I understand that the suspension order drew confusion and irritation among our affected departing OFWs".
- More than 1 million Filipinos work in Saudi Arabia, the most preferred destination of OFWs in 2019, as per the government data. Most of the Filipinos are recruited as construction workers, domestic helpers and nurses.
- Last year, Filipinos in Saudi Arabia managed to sent 1.8 billion dollars in remittances, a key support for the consumption-led economy. See Also : Saudi Arabia to allow entries from 11 countries of 20 banned countries, starting 30th May
