President Rodrigo Duterte has allowed Filipino nurses and other healthcare workers who have complete contracts until August 31 to leave and work abroad.

In a virtual press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, quoting the Department of Labor and Employment said that some 1,500 medical professionals could benefit from the lifting of the deployment ban.

"The President has already allowed the deployment abroad of the health professionals who have complete documentation as of August 31, 2020," he said.

Nurses' and other healthcare workers' groups have urged Duterte to allow them to work abroad.

This was after the government, through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, temporarily suspended the deployment of healthcare professionals overseas due to coronavirus disease pandemic.

The Duterte administration did not want to risk the lives of the Filipinos abroad and at the same time stressed the need for health professionals to serve first the country amid the health crisis.

Earlier, the Duterte administration only exempted to work abroad healthcare workers with complete documents as of March 8, 2020. Celerina Monte/DMS