Philippines’ Department of Labour and Employment said the interim block would be in place until a government team studied the situation.
The Philippines has temporarily barred its nationals from travelling to Qatar for work due to the dispute between Gulf States.
Philippines’ Department of Labour and Employment said the interim block would be in place until a government team studied the situation.
There are more than 260,000 Filipinos in Qatar, one of the country’s largest expat communities.
The Philippines’ economy relies heavily on remittances from its nationals working overseas. In 2016, Filipinos based in the Middle East sent home US$7.6 billion in remittances, Reuters reported.
The dispute between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours shows little sign of easing despite intervention by Kuwait, which has indicated it might try to broker a resolution.
Both Emirates and Etihad have assured passengers that aside from Qatar routes, their usual flights will not be disrupted.
Emirates, Etihad, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Egypt Air and other Gulf carriers have announced they will no longer fly in and out of Qatar after Saudi Arabia and six other Arab states cut air, sea and land links to the increasingly isolated nation.
And in a sign that there will not be a quick resolution to the crisis in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia has revoked the licence of Qatar Airways and ordered its offices in the country to be closed.
Licences granted to Qatar Airways employees would also be withdrawn, according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
In a further development, the UAE has banned Qataris from transitting through its airports, forcing some airlines to rebook Qatari passengers on other routes.
On its website, Qatar Airways says its flights to Europe and the US “are currently not affected” by the dispute. Passengers are being advised to visit qatarairways.com and the Travel Alerts page for further updates.