spot_img
27.6 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Massive repatriation in Mideast still pursued

- Advertisement -

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday said plans to deploy Armed Forces of the Philippines assets and personnel in the Middle East are still in place despite the lifting of mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in Iran and Lebanon.

Massive repatriation in Mideast still pursued
PEACEFUL RESOLUTION. Members of the International Peace Bureau, with Muslim nationals, call for a peaceful resolution of the Iran-US conflict following the killing of Iranian Gen. Soleimani by American airstrike last week. Norman Cruz

This as the mandatory repatriation from Iraq remains in effect while Filipinos in Iran, Libya, and Lebanon who wish to come home because of the recent tensions will be assisted by the government.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government could pay for the airfare of all Filipino migrants in the Middle East who want to return to the Philippines amid tensions between the United States and Iran.

READ: PH cancels repatriation bid

In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN, Duterte, who earlier ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Iran and Iraq, said he wanted government to “immediately” secure the safety of Filipinos in the said countries.

- Advertisement -

“We have the money to answer for all of their airfare,” the President told broadcaster Ted Failon.

Around P1.8 billion has been budgeted to bring Filipino workers home, Budget Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo said earlier.

“Personnel to be deployed in the conflict areas will exclusively assist in the repatriation and humanitarian operations,” Defense Department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said in a statement, quoting Lorenzana.

READ: M.E. strikes spark call for evac

He added that the DND is also in close coordination with all concerned agencies and ready to provide whatever support is necessary for the repatriation efforts to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the Middle East.

In related developments:

• Senator Richard Gordon called for continued vigilance despite the lowering of tensions in the Middle East.

• Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito called on the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to immediately release its emergency funds for the livelihood of Filipino workers facing repatriation.

• The House committee on overseas workers affairs will hold a special meeting on Jan. 13 (Monday) to discuss urgent issues affecting Filipino workers in the Middle East.

The Inter-Agency Committee, chaired by Lorenzana, is tasked to oversee the repatriation of Filipino workers in the Middle East.

The committee is composed of the national security adviser as the vice chairman, and the secretaries of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Transportation, as members.

The DOLE earlier said there is no more mandatory repatriation for OFWs in Iran and Lebanon following the downgrading of alert levels in those countries.

Alert Level 2 is currently raised in Lebanon while there is no more alert level in Iran.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, however, said a deployment ban remains in effect in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Iran launched missiles that targeted two airbases in Iraq which houses US troops.

This was in retaliation to Washington’s drone strike in Baghdad that killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the mandatory repatriation of Filipino workers from Iraq was for their own safety.

On Wednesday, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the government would respect any Filipinos who wish to stay in Iraq despite the mandatory repatriation order.

There are an estimated 4,000 Filipinos in Iraq, according to the data from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Nograles said Filipinos who will be repatriated would be first assembled at a “safe place” in the Middle East before they can go home. 

President Duterte has created a special working panel that will oversee the evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos from the Middle East.

The committee is chaired by Lorenzana and vice chaired by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

Members of the panel include Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.

Massive repatriation in Mideast still pursued
PEACEFUL RESOLUTION. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. talks to families of OFWs who gathered Friday outside the DFA office in Pasay City to listen to their concerns regarding their loved ones in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon. Norman Cruz

The Budget department announced Wednesday that P1.8 billion in government funds have been readied for the repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East.

Nograles assured returning workers that they will receive immediate assistance from the government, that could take the form of livelihood packages or redeployment to other countries.

He said workers who will be repatriated from Iraq and have excellent construction skills, can also join the government in its implementation of the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

The government has allotted around P9 trillion for the implementation of around 100 key infrastructure projects and over 10,000 small infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program.

About 38 of the 100 big-ticket infrastructure projects are expected to be completed by 2022, while 22 are “partially operational or substantially completed” and the remaining 40 would be finished “beyond 2022.”

The 35 big-ticket infrastructure projects are ongoing, 32 will begin construction in the next six to eight months, 21 are in the advanced stages of government approval, and 12 in the advanced stages of a feasibility study.

Nograles earlier said it was possible the government may hire a cruise ship to carry out the repatriation, a possibility raised during the last Cabinet meeting.

He also said the government has reached out to other countries to consider accommodating Filipino workers affected by the Middle East conflict.

Aside from deployment abroad, Nograles said the government will help repatriated Filipinos find local jobs.

This includes providing capital for them to start their own businesses or working in the government’s infrastructure projects.

President Duterte earlier ordered government agencies to prepare alternative employment for Filipinos who will be repatriated.

On Friday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. had a run-in with protesters outside the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, challenging them to beat him up. He later promised them the government would address the needs of Filipino workers in the Middle East, and shoulder the costs of those who want to come home.

Locsin also vowed to seek justice for a Filipina maid in Kuwait who was allegedly beaten to death by her employer. This incident prompted the government to suspend the deployment of Filipino domestic helpers to the Gulf state.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines announced on Friday it stands ready to provide assistance in the repatriation of Filipino workers based in Iran and Iraq in the light of current Middle East tensions.

“We will carry, free of charge, affected Iran-based or Iraq-based overseas Filipino workers via PAL’s network of flights from the Middle East to Manila,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Gilbert Santa Maria.

“These OFWs who are certified for repatriation by the Philippine government can make use of available seats on our regular Manila-bound flights from Dubai in the UAE, or alternately from Doha in Qatar, and Riyadh or Dammam in Saudi Arabia,” he added.

To ensure an orderly process, PAL will coordinate closely on repatriation arrangements with the concerned Philippine embassies and officials of Labor and Foreign Affairs departments who are in charge of identifying qualified workers.

Cebu Pacific and Air Asia also pledged to help in the effort.

“Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have agreed to accommodate free of charge stranded Filipinos in the UAE or in any of its available Middle East flights, once the plans for the repatriation have been outlined. Air Asia, on the other hand, has agreed to the possible allocation and free accommodation of repatriated Filipinos that need to go back to their respective provinces on their domestic flights,” Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General Jim Sydiongco said.

Tugade said the air sector guarantees the swift and effective implementation of the repatriation plan.

“When needed, our aviation sector, and the whole of DOTr, will fully support the government’s efforts in this repatriation. We will ensure that there will be no delays in getting our OFWs home and safe,” Tugade said. 

READ: Mandatory repatriation okayed

READ: New attacks trigger fears of US-Iran proxy war

READ: Letter on US pullout from Iraq a ‘mistake’

 

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles