Saying that they pose social and economic threats to Bahrain, a lawmaker there is calling for stricter sanctions against some 40,000 foreigners who are staying illegally in that country.

Philippine officials in Bahrain have contingency plans to ensure the safety of some 40,000 Filipinos amid continued protests there, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

At least 22 distressed overseas Filipino workers from Bahrain were repatriated over the weekend, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.

While the Philippine government has lowered the alert level for Filipinos in Bahrain, the Philippine Embassy there still does not allow non-essential travel.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has lifted the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Bahrain.

Philippine officials have lifted a travel ban to Bahrain after its embassy reported life has returned to normal, Bahrain’s news agency reported Saturday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lowered on Saturday the crisis alert level for Bahrain to “1″ after the state of emergency there was lifted.

Filipinos in Bahrain were informed Tuesday that partial curfew has been lifted as political tension and security situation in the Middle Eastern country continue to ease.

Philippine officials are promoting the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) scheme to potential investors in Bahrain, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Bahrain wants to hire more Filipino medical workers who are known for their “professional excellence.”