PH relaxes job rules for refugees, stateless foreigners

Despite the Philippines’ opposition to the United Nation (UN) resolution calling for aid for the displaced Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Manila has relaxed its employment requirements for refugees and stateless foreigners.

Refugees and stateless foreigners could soon be allowed to work in the country even without the necessary permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) under its new regulation.

In its Department Order No. 186, Series of 2017, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III disclosed foreigners, who will be identified by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as such will now be exempted from getting the alien employment permit (AEP).

An AEP is the documentary requirement issued by DOLE to foreigners before they be allowed to work in the country.

“Refugees and Stateless Persons recognized by DOJ pursuant to Article 17 of the UN (United Nations) Convention and Protocol Relating to status of Refugees and Stateless Persons... they are exempt form securing an employment permit,” Bello said in his seven-paged issuance.

As part of its commitment to the UN, DOJ released in 2012 its guidelines for refugees and stateless persons to provide them faster processing and better protection.

Last week, President Duterte earned the ire of migrant advocates after the Philippines joined nine other countries in voting against the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

PRC aid sought The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) was recently asked by Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to deploy its humanitarian workers and volunteers to Myanmar, specifically to the conflict-torn Rakhine State, Senator Richard Gordon revealed yesterday.

Gordon, who is also PRC chairman, said Suu Kyi talked to him and requested help from the PRC during the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the country.

A statement from the PRC said: “Suu Kyi first made the request to Gordon during a dinner for the Myanmar State Counsellor and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on November 11 in Pampanga.”

It was Gordon who made possible the fast access and safe provision of relief goods and personnel of the Red Cross Movement to Rakhine State. “From two to four weeks, it only takes one day to get the approval of Myanmar’s Ministry of Health and Sports.” (With a report from Jel Santos)