OFW group welcomes partial lifting of travel ban to China

March 13, 2020

An organization of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Friday welcomed the decision of the government to allow 'balik manggagawa' to be deployed to China despite prevailing threat of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

In a statement, Migrante International said it is time for the government to allow returning Overseas Filipino Workers to go back to their workplaces in China. 

"We ascribe this to the collective action of OFWs, their families and their supporters, who never wavered in raising their demand to get back to their normal lives and carry out their occupations," said Migrante. 

"Migrante International welcomes the approval of the travel ban exemption for OFWs returning to Mainland China (except to Hubei Province). We were heard because we never kept silent," it added. 

The statement comes after the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) resolved on Thursday, to allow returning OFWs to be deployed to Mainland China, except in Hubei, as soon as they execute a declaration signifying their knowledge of the risks it entails. 

On February 2 the Philippines imposed a travel ban to China due to the emergence of the COVID-19 from Hubei Province. 

Since then, there has been a gradual drop in the number of confirmed cases emerging from Mainland China, including Hubei Province. 

But despite the partial lifting of the ban, Migrante said it remains imperative for the Philippine government to continue looking after the welfare of China-bound OFWs. 

"We call on the Duterte government to continue providing assistance to our dear OFWs even after their return to Mainland China," said Migrante. DMS