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Overseas deployment ban ng health workers, 'di pa aalisin ng Palasyo
The Philippine government, through Malacañang, announced that the overseas deployment ban on healthcare workers will not be lifted anytime soon due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque stated that President Rodrigo Duterte imposed the ban to safeguard the health and lives of Filipino medical professionals and to strengthen the country's healthcare workforce.
This decision stands despite opposition from Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who argued that the ban infringes upon the constitutional rights of healthcare workers.
The matter was discussed in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), where most members agreed with the President's stance, excluding Secretary Locsin.
Roque encouraged healthcare workers to first gain experience domestically by applying for positions in the government's COVID-19 emergency hiring program before considering overseas work.
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Seven Filipino nurses were prevented from leaving the Philippines despite having secured employment contracts in the United Kingdom, with some already on the plane when denied departure.
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