Redeployment of OFWs to South Sudan OK'd

Filipino workers who were based in South Sudan were given the go signal by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration after the political situation there has been stabilized.

According to POEA’s Governing Board Resolution No. 11, the entry of Filipino workers in the African country is allowed only if they have existing employment there.

“Now, therefore, the POEA Governing Board, in a meeting duly convened, resolves as its is hereby resolved, to allow the redeployment of returning Filipino workers to South Sudan, subject to proof of existing employment as determined by POEA. The deployment ban for newly-hired OFWs shall be maintained,” the order which was approved last June 30 and was only disseminated on July 4.

Information from the Department of Foreign Affairs helped prompt the lifting of the ban on redeployment as alert level in South Sudan from Alert Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation) to Alert Level 2 (Restriction Phase) in view of the improved situation in the said country.

In Jan. 13, 2012, the POEA Governing Board issued Resolution No.1, Series of 2012, based on Crisis Alert Level 3 imposed by the DFA on South Sudan due to the worsening political and security conditions in the country thereby prohibiting the deployment of workers.

But, in March 22, 2012, the total ban was lifted due to the lowering of the Crisis Level by the DFA, from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 1 but the deployment ban was reinstated on Dec. 24, 2013 based on Crisis Alert Level 3 as ordered by DFA due to the deteriorating peace and order conditions brought about by the continuing ethnics violence.