Iraqi govt. asks RP to lift OFWs ban – report

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi government has asked the Philippines to allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) back in the war-torn Middle East country because it needs millions of workers when it begins reconstruction projects next year, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said on Friday. Adel Hamoudi, charge d’ affaires of the Iraqi embassy in Manila, told the daily that they need around 10 million workers in Iraq for the rebuilding efforts. “For the new phase we are planning in 2009, we have plans to renew our infrastructure. We are in need of thousands and thousands, maybe 10 million workers. We really need Filipinos’ help,” Hamoudi said Friday. Hamoudi said the Iraqi government would need engineers, technicians, nurses, educators, and energy workers next year. He said officials of the Philippine labor department and the Iraqi immigration ministry recently met to explore the possibility of revoking the deployment ban, imposed in 2005 following the kidnapping of Filipino driver Angelo de la Cruz. “We are working to remove this [deployment ban],” Hamoudi said. “We don’t want to go into details but recently the Iraqi Immigration Minister and the Minister of Labor met and they talked about this issue.” “Recently they said it would be lifted in the coming months. We expect this to be lifted in this three coming months,” Hamoudi added. MH (S)/AmR 1