WHEREAS, Republic Act 10022 authorizes the POEA Governing Board, after consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to terminate or impose a ban on the deployment of migrant workers in pursuit of national interest or when public welfare so requires;

WHEREAS, on 17 December 2007, the POEA Governing Board, upon the recommendation of the DFA issued Governing Board Resolution No. 8, Series of 2007, suspending the processing and deployment of all workers bound for Iraq and Afghanistan due to the unstable peace and order situation in the said countries;

WHEREAS, on 02 September 2011, the POEA Governing Board, upon the recommendation of the DFA, issued Governing Board Resolution No. 05, Series of 2011, partially lifting the deployment ban in Iraq and Afghanistan which allowed workers working inside American military camps and facilities to finish their existing contracts which can be extended or renewed onsite, and provided further that those who will go home to the Philippines before their contract expiration shall be allowed to be re-deployed to finish their contracts; and

WHEREAS, on 08 July 2014, the DFA has issued Alert Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation Phase) for Afghanistan due to the heightened tensions in that country, following the conduct of the presidential elections held last 14 June 2014.

WHEREAS, on 09 July 2014, the POEA Governing Board issued Governing Board Resolution No. 15, Series of 2014, imposing a total ban on the processing and deployment of all returning/ vacationing OFWs bound for Afghanistan. The deployment ban on new hires for Afghanistan provided under Governing Board Resolution No. 8 issued on 17 December 2007 is maintained;

WHEREAS, in its letter dated 21 July 2014, the DFA recommended the issuance of deployment ban exemption for the following categories of Filipinos who are returning to and vacationing from Afghanistan and who have existing and valid contracts provided that they have been issued letters of guarantees/undertaking from their employers guaranteeing their safety, security, and repatriation in case the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates and their lives and well-being are placed in imminent danger:

• Those employed by diplomats, foreign embassies, missions, United Nations and other International Organizations;
• Those working inside American and NATO military camps and facilities, as well as those working for American and NATO contractors;
• Those working for the Afghan Government; and
• Those OFWs married to Afghan nationals.

NOW, THEREFORE, the POEA Governing Board, in a meeting duly convened, RESOLVES AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to allow the processing and deployment of the above-mentioned categories of workers bound for Afghanistan subject to compliance with the requirement cited thereto.

For immediate compliance:

Done in the City of Manila, Philippines, this 1^st day of August 2014.

(SGD) ROSALINDA DIMAPILIS-BALDOZ Secretary of Labor and Employment and Chairperson of the POEA Governing Board
(SGD) HANS LEO J. CACDAC POEA Administrator and Vice-Chair of the Governing Board
(SGD) FELIX M. OCA Member	(SGD) ESTRELITA S. HIZON Member
(SGD) ALEXANDER E. ASUNCION Member	(SGD) MILAGROS ISABEL A. CRISTOBAL Member