MANILA: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday assured that contingency plans are in place for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in case of emergencies and crisis situations amid the volatile security situation in the Middle East.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega gave the assurance during the hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs on the country’s crisis plan for OFWs in the face of rising tensions in the region.
De Vega rated the country’s preparedness a confidence score of 9 out of 10, stating that the government has continuously refined its response mechanisms based on extensive experience in managing similar crises previously.
He said every Philippine embassy in the region has its own contingency plan.
“Our embassies all have contingency plans in place,” De Vega said.
DFA Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer, meanwhile, emphasized that the specifics of these contingency plans must remain confidential for security reasons.
“We cannot discu
ss for obvious reasons the detailed contingency plans because we do not want these details to fall into the wrong hands because we need to protect the escape routes, the contact points, the airport routes, the sea routes of our nationals in case malaman ng ibang undesirables (undesirables find out about these),” Ferrer said.
These contingency plans, he said, are done in coordination with the host governments.
Ferrer further noted that the DFA is diligently coordinating with other government agencies through the One-Country Team Approach (OCTA) to ensure that the implementation of the Philippine foreign policy abroad is properly coordinated, coherent, and compliant with the laws of the host government.
“All plans, suggestions, contingency measures are led by the ambassador on the ground or the consul general and doon pa nagco-coordinate lahat (and they are all coordinating through that),” he said.
He also called on lawmakers to maintain budgetary allocations for the Assistance to Nationals fund and legal a
ssistance funds as “future crises are always on the horizon.”
Committee chair, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo, said the hearing was convened to ensure that the government’s contingency plans are “watertight and responsive to the potential crises” OFWs in the Middle East may face.
‘I feel relieved and assured that our agencies, primarily tasked with ensuring the safety of our kababayans, have affirmed that a contingency plan is in place in the event of war in the Middle East. Furthermore, this plan is shared with and supported by all other agencies, is consistent with the pertinent laws of the host states, and is properly communicated with our Filipino communities,’ Salo said.
‘Today’s gathering demonstrated a united front in our resolve to ensure the safety of OFWs, especially in crisis areas. It is this type of whole-of-government, whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach that reflects our commitment to our kababayans (fellow Filipinos).’
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer in charge, Secr
etary Hans Cacdac, along with representatives of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), pledged swift assistance for OFWs, particularly those in need of repatriation.
The Philippine government has kept Israel under alert level 2 after Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel, which Tehran said was in retaliation for the bombing of its embassy in Syria.
The DFA also advised Filipinos to postpone non-essential travel to the country.
It urged Filipinos in the region to be alert and updated with the security pronouncements of their host governments.
‘For contingency planning purposes, all Filipinos are likewise encouraged to coordinate with their overseas community leaders and our Philippine Embassies/Consulates,’ the DFA said.
Source: Philippines News Agency