The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) plans to lift the four-year ban on the deployment of domestic workers to Lebanon in February next year.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque however said the ban on the deployment of house helpers would only be lifted after Lebanon improves its mechanisms and agree on the proposals of the Philippine government to afford a $400 wage increase for domestic workers.

"Sigurado na yun (lifting of ban on non-domestic workers) sa February,'' he said in an interview.

“Although hindi naman ganon karami, mabibigyan pa rin ng opportunity ang ating ibang workers na makapagtrabaho sa construction companies and hotels,’’ he said.

President Arroyo had previously ordered the lifting of the ban on the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the political situation in Lebanon has stabilized following its successful polls last June.

The DoLE had maintained that the lifting of ban will only be issued when the MoA proposed by the Philippine government in March and April 2008 is signed.

The MoA contains salient provisions on the protection of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including increasing the salary of household helpers from currently $300 to $400.

Resumption of talks on the proposal of the Philippines last July, however, did not push through because the host country was not able to send a panel.

Roque did not clarify if Lebanese authorities already reacted to the agreement. Nonetheless, he said the DoLe has still plans of lifting the ban on non-domestic  workers.