The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has increased the overseas deployment limit of newly hired nurses and other healthcare workers to 6,500 per year. The previous deployment cap is at 5,000.
Malacanang announced Friday the additional 1,500 after the annual cap was already reached early this June. Healthcare workers under the Mission Critical Skills with perfected contracts as of May 31 will be part of the adjusted ceiling.
“HCWs falling under MCS with perfected contracts as of May 31, 2021, shall form part of the adjusted ceiling,” Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
“Healthcare workers under government-to-government labor agreements shall, however, be exempted from this adjusted ceiling,” he added.
Last week, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) ordered the temporary suspension on the deployment of new medical workers overseas after the 5,000 annual cap has been reached.
The order has temporarily stopped the processing and issuance of overseas employment certificates of newly hired nurses, nursing aides, and nursing assistants.