In a recent statement on August 9, Susan Ople, the Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), revealed that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) holding valid work contracts in Myanmar are now permitted to travel between the Philippines and Myanmar without restrictions.
This new development follows the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) downgrading Myanmar's crisis alert level from "Evacuation" (Alert Level 4) to the "Restricted Phase" (Alert Level 2) a month ago. Ople emphasized that OFWs who have complied with DMW registration procedures can now return to the Philippines for vacations and subsequently resume their overseas employment in Myanmar.
According to Ople, this rule is specifically limited to individuals who already possess active employment agreements, and it does not extend to the dispatch of newly hired workers to Myanmar.
The Philippine embassy in Yangon recommended that OFWs residing in Myanmar collaborate with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On the other hand, returning OFWs who are currently in the Philippines should liaise with the nearest DMW office for coordination. It's worth noting that Myanmar lacks an equivalent to the Migrant Workers Office (MWO), which serves as the counterpart to the DMW.
In July 2021, the DFA introduced Alert Level 4 for Myanmar, citing the country's deteriorating COVID-19 situation. Numerous Filipinos chose to remain due to lucrative employment opportunities.
However, by June 2022, Myanmar's COVID-19 cases hadn't reverted to the levels seen during the peak in July 2021. As a result, the OFW community appealed to the Philippine government for unrestricted cross-border travel. Yet, the Philippine embassy in Yangon clarified that Alert Level 4 had been imposed primarily due to the "escalation of violence" resulting from the 2021 military coup.
In their plea, the OFW population in Myanmar expressed a sense of "security" residing in Yangon, given the relatively subdued state of the country's political environment following the onset of the coup. A significant number were apprehensive that returning home might result in an inability to resume their employment.
Ople remarked that, as per evaluations conducted by the DFA and the Philippine embassy in Yangon, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are predominantly concentrated in major urban centers like Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, and Mandalay, and benefit from working conditions deemed "safe and stable."
Nevertheless, the government recommended that OFWs steer clear of areas in Myanmar prone to crises, as it could be challenging for Philippine authorities to swiftly reach these locations during emergency situations.
Source: http://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/8/10/OFWs-in-Myanmar-can-now-return-to-PH-.html
Photo credit from: PLN Media