Philippines imposes partial deployment ban to Lebanon

March 10, 2020

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)  imposed a partial deployment ban in the Middle East state. 

Based on POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 08-2020, the Philippines is prohibiting the deployment of newly-hired overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for Lebanon. 

"The POEA Governing Board, in a meeting duly convened, resolves to impose a temporary suspension on the processing and deployment of newly-hired workers bound for Lebanon, including crew changes, embarkation, disembarkation, and shore leaves of seafarers," said the POEA resolution dated February 21 but posted on March 6. 

This, it added, means only Overseas Employment Certificates (OECs) issued on or before the effectivity of the resolution shall be valid for deployment. 

Government data shows that Lebanon has some 33,424 OFWs. 

The POEA said the deployment ban is being issued in accordance with the move of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise the Crisis Alert Level in Lebanon to Alert Level 2. 

"The DFA raised the Crisis Alert Level in Lebanon to Alert Level 2 (Restriction Phase) from Alert Level 1 (Precautionary Phase) in view of the recent developments in the Middle East and the current political and economic situation threat," said the POEA.  DMS