As medical workers call on the government to lift overseas employment ban, Malacañang appealed to their emotions and urged them to think of their families who would be left in the Philippines without health care workers.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque even said that he is confident that nationalism will trump their desire to work abroad, as health workers struggle to make ends meet with the compensation they receive.
“Sa tingin ko po, sa panahon ng pandemya, mananaig naman ang nasyonalismo sa puso at damdamin ng ating mga nurses,” Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
[In my view, nationalism will prevail in the hearts of our nurses during this time of a pandemic.]
“Kahit pa mangibang-bansa ang ating mga health workers, may maiiwan silang mga mahal sa buhay dito at sana po ‘yun din ang maisip ng mga health professionals na wala namang mag-aattend sa mga pamilya nila dito ‘pag kailangan ng mga health workers,” he added.
[Even if they work abroad, they will leave families behind and I hope the health workers consider that there might be no one to attend to their families if they need medical care.]
The government’s COVID-19 task force is expected to discuss the deployment ban on health workers on Thursday afternoon.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration had banned the deployment of Filipino health care workers at the onset of the pandemic. Only those with perfected and signed overseas employment contracts as of March 8, 2020 were allowed to leave the country.
