Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 10) — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been legally working in Myanmar can now return to the Philippines for vacation.
The DMW clarified it \”applies only to those with existing employment contracts and not to the deployment of new hires to Myanmar.\”
The announcement came after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) downgraded the crisis alert status in Myanmar from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 2 last July. Alert Level 2 means restricting non-essential movements, avoiding places of protest, and preparing for possible evacuation.
Based on the assessment of the DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Yangon, the OFWs in Myanmar are concentrated in the cities of Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, and Malanday where they enjoy safe and stable working conditions.
The DMW also advised OFWs to avoid crisis-prone regions in Myanmar, saying there is no guarantee that the Philippine or Myanmar authorities will be able to easily access these areas to respond.
