New list of countries where OFW are allowed to work + 32 OFW Friendly Countries added

The new list of countries that comply with Philippine government standards that protect overseas Filipino workers (OFW) does not include six top OFW destinations.

In May 2011, the POEA's Governing Board (GB) Resolution No. 2 listing 76 countries those were OFW-friendly.

Resolution No. 2 said, "In the meantime, the deployment of OFWs to these countries [not included in the list] shall continue except where deployment ban is in effect."

OFW-friendly countries

According to Section 3 of RA 10022, "the State shall allow the deployment of overseas Filipino workers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected."

The section provides that the Philippines will allow deployment if the host country:

has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers;

is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers; and

has conducted a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of OFWs.

The POEA will publish the resolutions in two newspapers of general circulation and will take effect 15 days after publication.

Baldoz said the Philippine government can consider as 'compliant' countries taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of migrant workers based on the provisions of RA 10022.

She clarified that non-compliant countries may push for bilateral agreements with the Philippines to address the "non-compliances."

She also said Filipino workers can still be deployed to companies with international operations in non-compliant "unless there is an existing ban to that country.

The Philippine government has an existing deployment ban to conflict affected countries such as:

1. Lebanon
2. Nigeria
3. Somalia
4. Syria
5. Iraq (Partial ban)
6. Afghanistan (partial ban)

As of July 03, 2012, Philippine labor officials have added 32 countries - including conflict-hit Syria - to the list of territories that meet Philippine standards on the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board approved a resolution adding the 32 countries to the list.

 "Under this qualification, the POEA may continue to deploy OFWs to these countries and the Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to negotiate for the better protection of household service workers even beyond 12 April 2012," Labor Secretary and POEA Governing Board chairperson Rosalinda Baldoz said in a news release.

Those who signed the resolution were Baldoz, POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac as governing board vice chairman, and Leonardo de Ocampo, governing board member.

Baldoz listed the new 32 OFW countries as:

1. Algeria
2. Bahrain
3. Bangladesh
4. Bhutan
5. Botswana
6. China
7. Dominican Republic
8. East Timor/Timor Leste
9. Iran
10. Saudi Arabia
11. Kiribati
12. Kuwait
13. Kyrgyz Republic/Kyrgyzstan
14. Lesotho
15. Maldives
16. Micronesia
17. Mongolia
18. Montenegro
19. Mozambique
20. Panama
21. Papua New Guinea
22. Qatar
23. Serbia
24. Solomon Islands
25. Sri Lanka
26. Syria (partial ban lifted)
27. Swaziland
28. Tajikistan
29. Turkmenistan
30. United Arab Emirates
31. Yemen, and
32. Zambia.

Baldoz said these countries have been certified by the DFA last May 24, 2012 after a recommendation was made by the Congressional Committee on Overseas Welfare Affairs chaired by Rep. Walden Bello.

Based on the recommendation, the countries were found "to be compliant without prejudice to negotiations for the protection of household service workers."

 "The 32 countries bring to 184 the total number of countries already certified by the DFA out of 203 countries. Only 19 countries now remain to be non-certified," the DOLE said.

 So far, the countries still not certified as OFW-friendly are:

1. Afghanistan
2. Chad
3. Cuba
4. Democratic People's Republic of Korea/North Korea,
5. Eritrea
6. Haiti
7. Iraq
8. Lebanon
9. Libya
10. Mali
11. Mauritania
12. Nepal
13. Niger
14. Palestine
15. Somalia
16. Uzbekistan
17. Zimbabwe
18. Monaco,
19. Vatican (Holy See)

Out of these 19 countries, the Board has yet to receive the certifications for the Vatican and Monaco, Baldoz explained.

The certifications for Libya and Iraq are currently being reviewed amid latest developments that may lead to the amendment of their respective certifications.

 "The POEA Governing Board notes that the DFA has yet to complete the review of its previous certifications issued for Iraq and Libya," Baldoz said.

Complete list of Countries where Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) are allowed to work (As of July 03, 2012)

1. Albania
2. Algeria
3. Andorra
4. Angola
5. Antigua and Barbuda
6. Argentina
7. Armenia
8. Australia
9. Austria
10. Azerbaijan
11. Bahamas
12. Bahrain
13. Bangladesh
14. Barbados
15. Belarus
16. Belgium
17. Belize
18. Benin
19. Bhutan
20. Bolivia
21. Bosnia and Herzegovina
22. Botswana
23. Brazil
24. Brunei
25. Bulgaria
26. Burkina Faso
27. Burma
28. Burundi
29. Cambodia
30. Cameroon
31. Canada
32. Cape Verde
33. Central African Republic
34. Chile
35. China
36. Colombia
37. Comoros
38. Congo, Democratic Republic of the
39. Congo, Republic of the
40. Costa Rica
41. Cote d'Ivoire
42. Croatia
43. Cyprus
44. Czech Republic
45. Denmark
46. Djibouti
47. Dominica
48. Dominican Republic
49. East Timor (Timor-Leste)
50. Ecuador
51. Egypt
52. El Salvador
53. Equatorial Guinea
54. Estonia
55. Ethiopia
56. Fiji
57. Finland
58. France
59. Gabon
60. Gambia, The
61. Georgia
62. Germany
63. Ghana
64. Greece
65. Grenada
66. Guatemala
67. Guinea
68. Guinea-Bissau
69. Guyana
70. Honduras
71. Hong Kong
72. Hungary
73. Iceland
74. India
75. Indonesia
76. Iran
77. Ireland
78. Israel
79. Italy
80. Jamaica
81. Japan
82. Jordan
83. Kazakhstan
84. Kenya
85. Kiribati
86. Kosovo
87. Kuwait
88. Kyrgyzstan
89. Laos
90. Latvia
91. Lesotho
92. Liberia
93. Liechtenstein
94. Lithuania
95. Luxembourg
96. Macau
97. Macedonia
98. Madagascar
99. Malawi
100. Malaysia
101. Maldives
102. Malta
103. Marshall Islands
104. Mauritius
105. Mexico (United States of Mexico)
106. Micronesia
107. Moldova
108. Mongolia
109. Montenegro
110. Morocco
111. Mozambique
112. Namibia
113. Nauru
114. Netherlands
115. Netherlands Antilles
116. New Zealand
117. Nicaragua
118. Nigeria (partial ban lifted)
119. Norway
120. Oman
121. Pakistan
122. Palau
123. Panama
124. Papua New Guinea
125. Paraguay
126. Peru
127. Philippines
128. Poland
129. Portugal
130. Qatar
131. Romania
132. Russia
133. Rwanda
134. Saint Kitts and Nevis
135. Saint Lucia
136. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
137. Samoa
138. San Marino
139. Sao Tome and Principe
140. Saudi Arabia
141. Senegal
142. Serbia
143. Seychelles
144. Sierra Leone
145. Singapore
146. Slovakia
147. Slovenia
148. Solomon Islands
149. South Africa
150. South Korea (Republic of Korea)
151. South Sudan
152. Spain
153. Sri Lanka
154. Sudan
155. Suriname
156. Swaziland
157. Sweden
158. Switzerland
159. Syria
160. Taiwan
161. Tajikistan
162. Tanzania
163. Thailand
164. Timor-Leste
165. Togo
166. Tonga
167. Trinidad and Tobago
168. Tunisia
169. Turkey
170. Turkmenistan
171. Tuvalu
172. Uganda
173. Ukraine
174. United Arab Emirates
175. United Kingdom
176. United States of America (USA)
177. Uruguay
178. Vanuatu
179. Venezuela
180. Vietnam
181. Yemen
182. Zambia

In order for the listed 19 listed countries to be open for OFW, those countries must have to comply the standard required by the Philippines government.

East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea who have a construction business in the  listed ban countries for OFW are not allowed to hire any Filipinos professionals and skilled workers.

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Philippines ask US P3C Orion spy planes to monitor over the South China Sea

Philippine President Benigno Aquino said on Monday he may ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the South China Sea to help monitor the disputed waters, a move that could worsen tensions with its giant neighbor China.

The two countries only recently stepped back from a months-long standoff at the Scarborough Shoal, a horseshoe shaped reef near the Philippines in waters they both claim.

The United States has said it is neutral in the long-running maritime dispute and China has warned that "external forces" should not get involved in the dispute. "We might be requesting overflights on that," referring to US P3C Orion spy planes. "We don't have aircraft with those capabilities."

Last month, Aquino pulled out a lightly armed coast guard ship and a fisheries boat due to bad weather around the Scarborough Shoal, a group of rock formations about 140 miles (225 km) west of the main Philippine island of Luzon.

The South China Sea is potentially the biggest military flashpoint in Asia, and tensions have risen since the United States adopted a policy last year to reinforce its influence in the region.

At stake is control over what are believed to be significant reserves of oil and gas. Estimates for proven and undiscovered oil reserves in the entire sea range from 28 billion to as high as 213 billion barrels of oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a March 2008 report.

China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia have competing claims on the sea, but China's claims encompass almost all its waters.

China said last week it had begun "combat-ready" patrols in waters it said were under its control in the South China Sea, after saying it "vehemently opposed" a Vietnamese law asserting sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly islands.

"We hope the Philippines will no longer issue information that provokes public opinion and avoid complicating the situation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters on Monday, responding to the Philippine military's assertion that it could return to the Scarborough Shoal at any time.

Aquino said he had not decided whether to send Philippine ships back to the disputed shoal and had called a cabinet meeting for Thursday to discuss the issue and overall relations with China.

"We'll discuss the whole issue of the relationship with China and I would like to get the advice of my advisors," Aquino told Reuters in a wood-paneled reception room in the Malacanang presidential palace.

Manila has been looking to its old ally Washington for ships, aircraft and surveillance and equipment as the United States refocuses its military attention on Asia.

Manila has offered Washington greater access to airfields and its military facilities in exchange for more equipment and frequent training. Aquino met with US President Barack Obama in Washington in early June.

 In August last year (2011), the US Pacific Command made an initial offer to deploy the P3C Orion spy planes to the Philippines and help monitor disputed areas in the South China Sea after China increased its presence and activities near Reed Bank part of the western Philippines Palawan island group..

The Pentagon offered to share real-time surveillance data with the Philippines while seeking wider access to airfields in its former colony in Southeast Asia.

"We have a lot of needs," Aquino said. "For instance the coasts watch system - we have 36,000 km (22,000 miles) of coastline.

We don't have radar coverage for all of this." Aquino also said he would not object to an increased "rotational tempo" for US military forces in the country to help train their Filipino counterparts.

Aquino said China should not be alarmed by Philippines efforts to improve its monitoring capability.

"Does the Philippines have the capacity to become an aggressor," he asked. "By any stretch of the imagination, the Philippines does not have. So why should it upset a superpower if we're all reasonable?"

"The Philippines has demonstrated time and again its interest to preserve the peace and the de-escalation of the situation," Aquino said. "But we don't exist in a vacuum.

We would want to see China reciprocate all of these moves that have been done as far as de-escalating the tensions."

Despite its professed neutrality over the South China Sea dispute, the U.S. military "pivot" back to Asia is widely seen as a response to China's growing military capabilities. Its shift back to the region may be encouraging smaller nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines to take a bolder stance over the sea dispute, analysts say.

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