Thread by @cnnphilippines

THREAD: The Labor department holds a media briefing | bit.ly/34n2jos

Tweets by our digital producer @lisbetesmael

@lisbetesmael Rolly Francia, DOLE-Information and Publication Service (IPS) director: Agad-agad na pinapahinto po ang pagpapaalis ng mga Filipino workers patungong Saudi Arabia. bit.ly/3hViHVf

@lisbetesmael DOLE: Mayroong mga hindi nakaalis na mga OFWs ngayong araw patungong Riyadh.

@lisbetesmael DOLE: Ang Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jeddah ay hindi muna magpro-process ng mga job orders and employment contracts simula May 30.

@lisbetesmael DOLE: Ito ay dahil sa violations na nire-require ang mga OFWs ang sasagot sa mga COVID-19 safety protocols, insurance coverage

@lisbetesmael DOLE says foreign agencies are mandated to shoulder the cost of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including testing and quarantine of OFWs: Dapat sinasagot 'yan ng mga ahensiya, itong mga nagde-deploy na ahensiya.

@lisbetesmael DOLE says 464 OFWs are affected by the deployment ban today.

@lisbetesmael Labor attaché Fidel Macauyag admits that the Philippine government has yet to receive official reports of the alleged refusal of foreign employers and agencies to pay for workers' expenses for health and safety protocols.

Asked on DOLE's decision to immediately implement the ban affecting hundreds of workers, Francia said Labor chief Bello acted in OFWs' "best interests"

OWWA to provide hotel accommodation for stranded OFWs in Manila