PH allows health workers with March 8 contracts to leave

The Philippine government has allowed health workers with signed overseas employment contracts as of March 8 to depart the country.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced that medical and allied healthcare professionals meeting this criterion will be exempt from the deployment ban imposed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Health workers leaving must sign a declaration acknowledging the risks involved.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed on Twitter that nurses and other health care workers with existing contracts can now leave for work abroad, while future applications remain suspended.