Pursuant to Department Order No. 11 (Series of 1998) temporarily lifting the suspension in the deployment of Filipino workers to the Philips Electronics Industries Chupei and Dapon plants in Taiwan, the following guidelines are hereby issued for the processing and deployment of Filipino workers to the above job sites:

A. Measures to Sustain the Control of the Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS)

1. A screening for HLA-B62 shall be required for selected workers bound for the two identified Philips plants to determine their susceptibility to the disease. Only workers showing negative results shall be allowed to depart for the above job sites. The cost of HLA-B62 testing shall be borne by the employer and/or agency;

2. The pre-departure orientation seminar of workers bound for the above job sites shall include a module on the SJS to ensure that workers are aware of the disease;

3. POEA will come out with updates on the SJS as provided by the research and monitoring team headed by OHSC. The recruitment agencies shall disseminate said updates to its deployed workers;

4. The employer and/or recruitment agencies shall be responsible in providing medical treatment, hospitalization including medicines for SJS affected workers while on site and upon return to the Philippines without prejudice to other benefits to which the latter are entitled under the contract of employment and/or existing laws.

B. The POEA shall coordinate closely with the OSHC on situationers relative to their monitoring and research on the Steven Johnson Syndrome and shall review the effectivity of the above measures after six months or when it becomes necessary under the circumstances.

Non-compliance by the concerned agencies of these guidelines affecting them shall be subject to immediate suspension of documentary processing.

For strict compliance.

Adopted: 22 June 1998

(SGD.)  FELICISIMO O. JOSON, JR.
Administrator