PRESS RELEASE
WDC-9-2021
5 March 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Around 75 representatives of staffing agencies, consultancy firms and facilities in in the health care sector based in the United States attended the virtual orientation and briefing organized by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO-WDC) on 5 February 2021.
The said briefing was held in light of mounting requests for the processing of accreditation of health care organizations (HCOs) in the United States desiring to hire medical professionals in the Philippines, particularly nurses and medical technologists.
“This briefing is meant to provide official and relevant information regarding the recruitment and deployment procedures of the Philippines as well as remind all actors that the Philippine government, especially under President Duterte, shall continue to advocate for fair and ethical recruitment practices in the deployment of our workers, including our medical professionals,” Librado-Trinidad said.
The discussion also centered on the issues and concerns perennially raised by groups and associations of nurses as well as individual nurses themselves about the imposition of damages, including liquidated damages. POLO-WDC stressed that the Philippine government will not approve contracts of employment and offers of employment which contain damages provisions. However, Librado-Trinidad clarified that “an aggrieved party, an employee or the employer, may rightfully sue or resort to legal actions in accordance with the laws of the State where the contract is effective or was executed, whichever is applicable.”POLO-WDC further discussed the recent updates on the lifting of the suspension of deployment of nurses and other health care workers. The Philippine government has recently put a cap of 5,000 in the deployment of health care workers every year to ensure that the Philippine healthcare system is sufficiently staffed.
