The Philippines has temporarily suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Lebanon. This decision, however, came not as a precaution against COVID-19, but because of the country’s deteriorating economy.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III issued that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration governing board has approved this resolution that covers crew changes, embarkation, and shore leaves of Filipino seafarers cruising Lebanon.
The POEA imposed the ban due to the Department of Foreign Affairs raising the crisis alert level in Lebanon to “2” or “restriction phase.”
Noting that Foreign workers in Lebanon have been rushing to leave the country ever since the situation worsened. They have been gathering in front of their embassies, asking for an expedited exit visa to return home.
The economic crisis in Lebanon has seriously affected them and their families who depend on them back home.
With the devaluation of the Lebanese currency, the scarcity of dollars, and the high exchange rates, Lebanese employers have been forced to pay the migrants in Lebanese pounds, halving the value of their salaries. These workers’ lives in Lebanon are becoming worse.
