DOLE may soon lift OFW deployment ban to Lebanon

By Susan G. De Leon

Friday 3rd of February 2012

QUEZON CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA) – Philippine and Lebanese labor officials Thursday signed two landmark agreements that may soon lead to the lifting of the deployment ban of Filipino workers in the country.

Philippine Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Lebanese Labor Minister Charbel Nahaz signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation and the accompanying protocol.

The MOU guarantees more protection and welfare for overseas Filipino workers, especially household service workers in the Middle East country.

Baldoz said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) will take effect 30 days from the date of a notification from both parties indicating that the requirements for its effectivity have been completed.

"Within this period, both Lebanon and the Philippines have agreed to commence discussion and reach an agreement on the implementing guidelines of the Memorandum, including the standard employment contract consistent with the principles of Decent Work for Domestic Workers,” Baldoz added.

Under the agreement, deployment of Filipino domestic workers to Lebanon may only be done through Philippine recruitment agencies licensed for the purpose.

Both parties also agreed to adopt all necessary measures in licensing and inspecting recruitment agencies to prevent abuses of domestic workers and other illegal practices.

The agreement also states that Lebanon shall ensure that a Filipino domestic worker is issued the appropriate visa to work in Lebanon before leaving the Philippines.

In 2006, the Philippine government issued a deployment ban to Lebanon due to the tension between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement. (DOLE/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)