The Philippines has temporarily banned its workers from travelling to Qatar after several Arab countries broke off diplomatic ties with the Gulf state.
Qatar is being isolated by its neighbours who accuse it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran.
More than two million documented Filipinos work in the Middle East, with about 140,000 based in Qatar.
The government said it was concerned about the “ripple effect” of the crisis on its overseas foreign workers.
Philippines Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said the ban would be in place until it completed an assessment of the situation.
“There are so many wild rumours going around, saying things are not going well there,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Philippine government said one of its main worries was a possible risk of food shortages in Qatar, which imports about 90 per cent of its produce.
The Qatari government said on Monday it had taken all necessary measures to ensure life would continue as normal under the blockade and that there was no need to panic.
The Philippine Business Council in Qatar told the BBC it is “business as usual” for Filipinos working in Qatar.
“Nothing has changed in people’s day-to-day activities and routines,” it said in an emailed statement. “Sensationalist news however causes undue concern to families back in the Philippines”.
Qatar is heavily dependent on foreign workers. Nearly 90 per cent of its 2.5 million population is estimated to be from overseas, led by India, Nepal and Bangladesh.-BBC
