Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) — More Filipino healthcare workers can now work abroad after the government increased their annual deployment limit to 7,000.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Final Word, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration deputy administrator Villamor Ventura Plan said the decision was made as COVID-19 cases in the country continue to decline and as new medical professionals come in after passing their licensure exams.
“Also, there has been a clamor coming from our healthcare workers… to give them an opportunity to work abroad and to have a better compensation,” he added.
In the interview, Plan noted that the limit is now double the 3,500 cap the government set early last year.
He said most of the demand for healthcare workers comes from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia.
Plan said the total number of nurses and other medical professionals for deployment overseas cannot be exactly determined as this would depend on actual demand. He added, however, that 10,000 healthcare workers were deployed last year.
The POEA official assured that an inter-agency group continually assesses the supply and demand of Filipino medical workers to ensure that the country’s own needs are met.
Meanwhile, Plan said there is also a huge demand for Filipino seafarers, engineers, as well as those who work in the hospitality and service sectors.
