MANILA - The Philippine government has no immediate plan to lift its ban on Filipinos working in Iraq despite a request from the Iraqi government, an official told local media Sunday.

Labour Secretary Marianito Roque told the Philippine Star newspaper that he and his Iraqi counterpart discussed the government's ban during the recent Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Manila.

Roque told the paper that despite the request the government had no "immediate plan" to lift the ban.

He said one factor that would be considered in lifting the ban will be US policy towards Iraq under the administration of President-elect Barack Obama.

"The biggest factor is when the new US President assumes office," he said.

"What will be its policy in Iraq? Second, what will be the situation if the Americans leave?" he said.

On Saturday an Iraqi diplomat in Manila said his country needed as many as 10 million foreign workers to help rebuild the country's shattered infrastructure.

President Gloria Arroyo banned the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq in 2004 after a Filipino truck driver was kidnapped and threatened with beheading. The truck driver was released unharmed.

Despite the ban, some 6,000 Filipino workers already working in Iraq were allowed to stay and officials say thousands more have entered the country to work.

The Philippines is the world's fourth biggest source of migrant workers, with about eight million employed in more than a hundred countries. Workers' remittances back home are a major source of foreign exchange for this country.

- AFP/ir