A SELECTIVE deployment of Filipino workers in Libya has been recommended by a House of Representatives mission to the Middle East country, a congressman revealed on Thursday.
Citing the demand for Filipino workers and the improving security situation in Libya, the congressional mission endorsed the selective deployment of workers to Libyan employers following standard labor practices.
“By exploring these recommendations, we not only aim to enhance the economic prospects of our skilled workers but also fortify… cooperation between the Philippines and Libya,” Party-list Rep. Ron P. Salo said in a statement.
The Philippines currently maintains a partial deployment ban on Filipinos seeking to work in Libya due to security concerns since 2019. However, workers with existing contracts in the country are excused from the ban as long as they secure exemption certifications from the Philippine Embassy in Libya.
Hostilities between rival groups in Libya erupted in 2019, prompting the Philippine government to issue a deployment ban.
However, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) are urged to reassess the political conditions of the country to determine the feasibility of redeploying Filipinos in the country, the congressional mission report stated.
Libya is designated with a crisis alert level three, allowing for the government to issue voluntary repatriation for Filipino workers seeking to come back to the Philippines.
The alert level three designation could no longer be accurate, the report stated, as hostilities in Libya have eased.
The DMW could also consider entering a bilateral agreement with Libya’s labor ministry to ensure greater protection for Filipino workers in the country, it added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
