The recruitment sector is in a quandary as to whether the Department of Labor of Employment (DoLE) has lifted the four-year-old ban on overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) deployment to Lebanon.

Recruitment expert Emmanuel Geslani said the DoLE department has yet to issue an official order lifting the deployment the ban to Lebanon although it earlier announced it was planning to do so in February.

Earlier, Malacañang gave the DoLE and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) the green light to remove the four-year ban following improved security conditions in that country.

“The industry is awaiting their pronouncement. Until they do so, it is unclear if deployment of OFWs to Lebanon is already approved,’’ Geslani said in an interview.

In his text reply, Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said: “Ban on household service workers (HSWs) to Lebanon stays. They cannot meet our $400 wage standard.’’

Asked to give a categorical statement on the lifting of deployment ban, Roque told the Bulletin to call POEA administrator Jennifer Manalili.

The Bulletin was also unable to reach POEA deputy administrator Hanz Cacdac.

While optimistic about the lifting of the ban, Geslani said the DoLE should immediately inform the industry that it was now allowed to employ non-household service workers for Lebanon.

The recruiters, he said had been requesting the DoLE to lift the ban on non-household service workers and not the HSWs or domestic helpers.