MANILA, Philippines — To lift or not to lift the ban on the deployment of health care workers abroad? “If they ever decide to get temporary employment while the temporary ban is imposed, we have already coordinated with the Department of Health (DOH). [The DOH] has a hiring process for [these workers] to be able to work during the temporary suspension,” Olalia said. Apart from the ‘balik manggagawa,’ or returning health workers, we also have the new hires, the direct hires and the government-to-government hires,’’ he said. Olalia said the temporary suspension of deployment was in response to the national state of emergency declared by President Duterte due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 12, 2020 20:48 UTC