MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is studying plans to lift a deployment ban of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Iraq.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has sent a 5-member delegation to Iraq to look into the possibility of reopening the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad and the lifting of the ban on the deployment of OFWs there, according to the DFA.

The delegation, headed by DFA Undersecretary Rafael Sequis, arrived in Iraq Monday and will meet with ranking officials of the Iraqi government and Filipino overseas workers in Baghdad and Erbil. 

The delegation will look into how the scheduled withdrawal of the American military forces in December will affect the overall security situation in Iraq and how this would impact on the possible deployment of Filipino workers, the DFA said in a press statement.

The Philippines continues to observe a deployment ban to Iraq that it imposed in 2004. The government has allowed those working inside American military camps and facilities to finish their contracts.

This is the first visit to Iraq by a ranking Philippine government official since the DFA transferred its Baghdad embassy to Amman, Jordan in 2005.

The decision to relocate the embassy was prompted by security concerns following the kidnapping of Angelito dela Cruz and Robert Tarongoy in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

Seguis secured the release of the 2 Filipinos from their captors.