Qatar Update: Philippines Partially Lifts Travel Ban After Arab Nations Break Ties With Qatar

The Philippine government issues a partial lifting of the travel ban to Qatar, one day after it announced that it will not allow overseas Filipino workers to travel to the country. These announcements come after several Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

According to a BBC News report, the reasons being cited for this drastic move is because of Qatar’s open support for regional Islamist groups and its close relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s rival for influence in the Gulf region.

What The Qatar Diplomatic Crisis Means For The Philippines

On June 6, Tuesday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that it will not allow workers to go to Qatar until they fully assess the situation in the country. The small, oil-rich country is home to about 140,000 Filipinos who are there as foreign workers. Come Wednesday, June 7, the labor department lifted this ban partially, allowing workers who have existing work contracts and new workers who have employment certificates to travel.

According to CNN Money, the country is largely dependent on foreign labor. Of its 2.2 million population, an estimated 90% of this are foreign nationals, with a majority coming from India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

One of the things that worried the Philippine government is the fact that the country relies on overseas imports for its food supply. Following the news of the diplomatic row, locals flooded the supermarkets and went into panic buying frenzy. Aside from this, the Philippine Business Council based in Doha said that it was “business as usual” especially for the foreign workers.

Travel Affected, Possibly Food Supplies As Well

As it is, travel to the country is already affected. Flights in and out of the capital, Doha have been suspended and Qatar Airways is dealing with problems brought about by being restricted in several air spaces. This means longer travel time and more fuel costs.

With Saudi Arabia closing its borders, it is also closing one major route for food supplies coming into the country. And with air and sea freights as the only options, this may likely mean increased food costs due to increased transportation costs.