PHL govt allows redeployment of OFWs to Yemen

January 30, 2012 3:50pm

The Philippine government on Monday allowed the redeployment of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) to Yemen after it lowered the alert level in that country to "2."

In a news release, the Department of Foreign Affairs said President Benigno Aquino III approved its recommendation to lower the alert level to "2," the restriction phase.

"We anticipate that with the lowering of the alert level, the redeployment of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Yemen will now be allowed. We also anticipate that Yemen-based OFWs, who wish to return to the Philippines for a vacation, will be allowed to return to Yemen," DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario said.

Previously, the DFA had raised the alert level in Sanaa to level "4" (mandatory repatriation) and "3" (voluntary repatriation) in the rest of Yemen.

The DFA said it has informed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board of this development.

However, the DFA stressed the lowering of the alert level will not cover the deployment to Yemen of newly-hired OFWs.

The DFA said it also expects that the POEA Governing Board will issue a new resolution that will allow the deployment of returning OFWs to Yemen.

The DFA raised Alert Level 3 on the whole of Yemen on May 24, 2011 and Alert Level 4 in Sanaa on June 6, 2011.

At the time, it asked Filipinos who wish to avail of the Embassy's repatriation facility to leave the country due to the politico-security situation there