The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) believes that Iraq is now a safe destination for OFWs, as Admin Hans Cacdac lifted the deployment ban that has been in effect for nine years.

Cacdac cites a report from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) saying that the security situation is good enough to have overseas Filipino workers in Iraq."

He expects that the lifting of the ban would open opportunities for Filipino workers as they would be needed in the rebuilding of Iraq’s oil and gas, construction, medical and hotel industries.

The ban-lifting though has exemptions as Iraq is still not open to household service workers (HSWs). There are also four Iraq provinces where OFWs are not allowed to be deployed because it is till considered dangerous.

Filipina HSWs are still not allowed to work in Iraq because there is “no adequate protection in place" for them.

The "no-go" provinces are Anbar, Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salahuddin, Cacdac said.

Meanwhile, Filipinos who will be deployed in Iraq are advised to take precautionary measures.