MANILA, Philippines — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Wednesday he will ask for government approval to allow 5,000 more healthcare workers to be deployed abroad, double the annual cap in a country that is one of the world’s biggest sources of nurses.
After lobbying by nurses groups, Bello said he will recommend to the coronavirus task force on Thursday that the cap is raised.
Nurses are among the more than 10 million Filipinos who work and live overseas, with annual remittances in excess of $30 billion a key driver for the country’s consumption-driven economy.
“There are reasons to allow health workers to seek good jobs abroad,” Bello told a news conference. “We…
Keep on reading: Labor chief Bello aims to deploy more nurses, healthcare staff overseas