Press Release

POEA Governing Board imposes temporary deployment ban on OFWs to Ukraine

Department of Labor and Employment
March 7, 2014

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, yesterday announced that the Governing Board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has approved a resolution imposing a temporary suspension on the processing and deployment of newly-hired OFWs bound for Ukraine.

“In view of the Department of Foreign Affairs raising the crisis alert level in Ukraine to Alert Level 2 due to the ongoing tensions in the said country,  the Governing has convened and approved Governing Board  Resolution No. 3 Series of 2014,”  said Baldoz.

Felix Rodolfo M. Oca, Estrelita S. Hizon, Alexander E. Asuncion, and Milagros Isabel Cristobal all signed the resolution, together with POEA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Governing Board Vice Chairman, and Secretary Baldoz.

Under Alert Level 2, only the processing and deployment of returning OFWs with existing employment contracts shall be allowed and the processing and deployment of newly-hired OFWs shall be suspended.

In a related development, the DFA has informed Secretary Baldoz that the foreign affairs department will deploy an urgent assistance to nationals (ATN) mission to Ukraine from 10 to 21 March.

“In this regard, I have issued an order to Labor Attaché David Des Dicang to join the ATN mission and help in its work, which is to assess the present condition of Filipinos in Ukraine,”  Baldoz said.

In a letter to Baldoz, the foreign affairs department said the members of the mission will comprise the Philippine Monitoring Team which will assess the security situation in view of the standoff between Ukraine and Russia;  consult directly with the Filipino in Kiev and assess their condition, as well as network with key officials to ensure the community members’  welfare and security.

“The team will also assess and lay the groundwork for the possible repatriation of Filipinos in Ukraine.  It will also review the Philippine contingency plan for OFWs in Ukraine,” Baldoz explained.

POEA data show that only 115 OFWs were deployed to Ukraine in 2013 and 57 in 2012, or a total of 175.  Forty one of the OFWs deployed  were administrative and managerial workers, while 30 are service workers.