POEA allows deployment of OFWs to South Sudan

But only for those that are employed by the Pacific Architects and Engineers Inc

DESPITE an existing total deployment ban, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said it will allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to work in South Sudan, but only for those that are employed by the Pacific Architects and Engineers Inc. (PAE).

According to POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 3-2016, they are only allowing PAE employees to be deployed to South Sudan to work on their projects with the United States State Department.

U.S. contract

“The POEA Governing Board resolves to allow the processing and deployment of all Filipino workers employed by PAE under the latter’s contract with the US State Department in South Sudan for its Flight Ops Support Program,” said the POEA.

The OFWs deployed by PAE are subject to their employer’s assumption of responsibility for their timely and safe evacuation in case the security situation require.

It was back in December 2013 when the POEA imposed a total deployment ban in South Sudan due to the deteriorating peace and order situation there caused by the continuing ethnic violence.

In a letter by the DFA to the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) last Jan. 7, it recommended that OFWs employed by the United Nations, and international organizations and non-government organizations may be allowed to be deployed on the condition that their employers shall assume the responsibility for their evacuation.

The POEA has ordered the lifting of the deployment ban for OFWs that are bound for Guinea.

Based on POEA Govern- ing Board Resolution No. 2-2016, they will already allow the resumption of the deployment of OFWs to Guinea after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lowered the Alert Level there from 3 to 1.

Including new hires

“The POEA Governing Board resolves to lift the deployment ban on Guinea and resume the processing and deployment of all OFWs, to include both vacationing and new hires,” said the POEA.

It was back in January 5 when the DFA lowered the Alert Level in Guinea from level 3 to 1 after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the country as being Ebola-free.

The lifting comes just over a year after the POEA imposed a total deployment ban to Guinea after it was hit by the Ebola outbreak.

The lifting of the deployment ban in Guinea follows similar actions by the POEA on Liberia and Sierra Leone, which were also hit by the Ebola outbreak in late 2014.