The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday said that deployment of newly hired workers to Israel remains restricted despite the downgrading of alert level 3 to alert level 2 in the war-torn region.
In a statement, DMW Secretary Leo Hans Cacdac said that returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) or the Balik-Manggagawa are allowed to depart to Israel for their overseas employment while deployment of newly hired workers is still not recommended.
He said the move is to ensure the safety of OFWs in the Middle East.
The DMW continually prioritizes the welfare and protection of OFWs, following the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) decision to lower the country’s crisis alert level from 3 (voluntary repatriation) to Alert Level 2 (restriction phase), he added.
“Alert Level 2 allows our returning OFWs with valid contracts to go back to their employers in Israel. We need to prioritize their safety and welfare wherever they are,” he said, adding that “the government will continue to assist our OFWs.”
The DFA lowered the alert level effective immediately due to improved security conditions in Israel.
