00:00The Philippine government is pulling out all the stops under a one-country team approach to keep Filipinos safe and
00:06rising tensions in the Middle East.
00:09Authorities are going to the extra mile coordinating evacuation routes as hundreds of overseas Filipino workers stand ready to return
00:17home.
00:18Vel Custodio tells us more.
00:21Through the one-country team approach, the Department of Foreign Affairs or DFA, Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration or OWA, Department
00:30of Migrant Workers or DMW, and Department of National Defense or DND are working together to ensure the safety of
00:37Filipinos caught in the tension in the Middle East.
00:40More than 600 overseas Filipino workers are ready for repatriation as of March 11, but authorities are still waiting for
00:48safety routes.
00:49Yung ating pong gobyerno is finding a secure route, identifying a secure route through Dubai, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Istanbul, Jordan,
01:05and also in the areas,
01:07nag-deploy yung rapid response team na migrant workers in the border of Egypt and Israel, Bahrain and Oman.
01:16Si Secretary Hans Kakda ay lumipad po kahapon patungo po dyan sa gitna sa Dubai po para ma-actionan po
01:24o makita po at kung ano po pwede magawang tulong ng ating national government dyan po sa ating mga OFWs.
01:33So I also believe that admin PY2 is also lumipad din po papuntang Abu Dhabi para makusibin po kung ano
01:40po yung mga kailangan pa ng ating OFWs.
01:43More than 180 non-OFWs have also been repatriated to the Philippines as of March 10.
01:49Ang advice po sa ating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa na to go to shelter in place and at the
01:58same time to follow the government's instructions,
02:01their host government's instructions and advisories.
02:05Filipinos who wants to return home but have expired passports are being advised to coordinate with the DFA.
02:12The House Committee on Foreign Affairs is also ready for a supplemental budget for OWA if needed for repatriation efforts.
02:19According to Committee Chairperson Brian Revilla, about 1.8 billion pesos remain in the Emergency Repatriation Fund while around 8
02:28million pesos has already been utilized.
02:30Around 200 million pesos in Action Fund have also been released to each migrant worker's office in the Middle East,
02:37with another 200 million pesos ready for download if necessary.
02:42Upon arrival in the Philippines, reintegration programs will be ready for repatriated OFWs.
02:48These include livelihood grants from the Department of Trade and Industry, a scholarship program from CHED and TESDA,
02:54and psychosocial support from the Department of Health and Department of Social Welfare and Development.
03:00Repatriated OFWs may also request for transportation assistance for their return to their home provinces.
03:06Vel Custodio for the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
Comments