POEA: DFA recommends deployment ban in Ebola-hit countries (sunstar)

POEA: DFA recommends deployment ban in Ebola-hit countries
Wednesday, September 24, 2014

THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said on Wednesday that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has recommended the imposition of a total deployment ban in Ebola-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

In his Facebook account, Cacdac related that the DFA has given a recommendation of a “modified total deployment ban” in the three West African countries afflicted with the Ebola crisis.

“Kaunting pasensya po muna as we clarify with the DFA and DOH kung ano ang current Ebola health crisis situation at kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng ‘modified total deployment ban’ na inirekomenda ng DFA,” Cacdac said.

Department of Health (DOH) representative Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy said officials of the POEA, DOH and other concerned agencies such as the DFA, Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are set to meet on Thursday.

“The POEA invited us to an inter-agency meeting tomorrow to discuss the latest in the Ebola health crisis,” said Lee Suy.

The move comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed fears that the number of Ebola infections could triple to 20,000 by November.

Present data showed that the Ebola has infected more than 5,800 people, including 2,800 deaths.

Cacdac said that they only want to adopt a preventive action that will prevent OFWs from acquiring the dreaded disease.

“We are doing this as a preventive action for OFW protection and their families, and for the general health and welfare of the public,” said the labor official.

“This is in line with the government policy of preventing any OFW of Filipino citizen from getting the Ebola virus disease,” Cacdac said. (HDT/Sunnex)