BY: JOSEPH JOHN J. PEREZ
LEGAZPI CITY, June 24 (PIA) – Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Bicol regional director Jocelyn Hapal has allayed fears of families with relative working overseas assuring them of the latters' safety and that the government is prepared to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in countries with declared security alert levels.
Hapal said during a recent radio program “Aramon Ta Daw (Let Us Know)” of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Bicol that OWWA, together with other government agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is closely coordinating for the well-being of more than 71,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide.
Hapal bared that the situation in Thailand has since improved and the security alert level is now lowered to 1.
“Under alert level 1, the Philippine embassy conducts information dissemination on the situation, issues do’s and don’ts to guide the OFWs, communicates with Filipino communities, gathers contact numbers of each OFW in the area,” Hapal reveals.
Alert level 1 also indicates Precautionary Phase which means there in no deployment ban for OFWs. The countries that are under alert level 1 include Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Venezuela, Kurdistan (Northern part of Iraq), and Thailand.
“Once alert level 2 is declared, monitoring of situation is intensified, wherein OFWs are required to report to embassy and advised to limit travels, avoid mass protests and actions and stock food stuff,” Hapal explained.
Alert level 2 indicates Restriction Phase providing that there is prohibition on deployment of new hires only. The countries under this alert level are Yemen and Ukraine.
“Total deployment ban is declared under alert level 3 which means no hiring or re-hiring, however with some exceptions especially those who are working in hospitals, oil rigs, personnel of international organizations, household employees and Filipinos married to locals,” Hapal clarified.
Under alert level 3, voluntary repatriation or evacuation aside from total ban on OFW deployment is enforced. The countries under this alert level are South Sudan and Libya however there is partial deployment for certain categories of returning workers.
“Total deployment ban and mandatory repatriation are enforced under aert level 4 at the expense of the Philippine Government who pays for plane tickets and other requirements,” Hapal told the PIA.
DFA confirmed this week that Iraq (except Kurdistan which remains under Alert level 1) is under alert level 4 due to its deteriorating security situation.
“Our greatest challenge however is how to arrange for the repatriation of undocumented OFWs or those who were illegally recruited or victims of human trafficking whose passports are withheld by employers and who don’t even know their exact location or address,” Hapal noted.
The government utilizes the modern technology such as social networking sites and mobile phones to communicate and locate the OFWs in crises, Hapal added.
Hapal also assured that most OFW Bicolanos are working in safe locations such as United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Taiwan which remain as top destinations for Bicolano OFWs.
“Most of them are Bicolanas working at hotels, restaurants, households, schools and factories,” Hapal said (MAL/JJP-PIA5)
- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2591403655408#sthash.XNlPNhUT.dpuf
LEGAZPI CITY, June 24 (PIA) – Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Bicol regional director Jocelyn Hapal has allayed fears of families with relative working overseas assuring them of the latters' safety and that the government is prepared to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in countries with declared security alert levels.
Hapal said during a recent radio program “Aramon Ta Daw (Let Us Know)” of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Bicol that OWWA, together with other government agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is closely coordinating for the well-being of more than 71,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide.
Hapal bared that the situation in Thailand has since improved and the security alert level is now lowered to 1.
“Under alert level 1, the Philippine embassy conducts information dissemination on the situation, issues do’s and don’ts to guide the OFWs, communicates with Filipino communities, gathers contact numbers of each OFW in the area,” Hapal reveals.
Alert level 1 also indicates Precautionary Phase which means there in no deployment ban for OFWs. The countries that are under alert level 1 include Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Venezuela, Kurdistan (Northern part of Iraq), and Thailand.
“Once alert level 2 is declared, monitoring of situation is intensified, wherein OFWs are required to report to embassy and advised to limit travels, avoid mass protests and actions and stock food stuff,” Hapal explained.
Alert level 2 indicates Restriction Phase providing that there is prohibition on deployment of new hires only. The countries under this alert level are Yemen and Ukraine.
“Total deployment ban is declared under alert level 3 which means no hiring or re-hiring, however with some exceptions especially those who are working in hospitals, oil rigs, personnel of international organizations, household employees and Filipinos married to locals,” Hapal clarified.
Under alert level 3, voluntary repatriation or evacuation aside from total ban on OFW deployment is enforced. The countries under this alert level are South Sudan and Libya however there is partial deployment for certain categories of returning workers.
“Total deployment ban and mandatory repatriation are enforced under aert level 4 at the expense of the Philippine Government who pays for plane tickets and other requirements,” Hapal told the PIA.
DFA confirmed this week that Iraq (except Kurdistan which remains under Alert level 1) is under alert level 4 due to its deteriorating security situation.
“Our greatest challenge however is how to arrange for the repatriation of undocumented OFWs or those who were illegally recruited or victims of human trafficking whose passports are withheld by employers and who don’t even know their exact location or address,” Hapal noted.
The government utilizes the modern technology such as social networking sites and mobile phones to communicate and locate the OFWs in crises, Hapal added.
Hapal also assured that most OFW Bicolanos are working in safe locations such as United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Taiwan which remain as top destinations for Bicolano OFWs.
“Most of them are Bicolanas working at hotels, restaurants, households, schools and factories,” Hapal said (MAL/JJP-PIA5)
- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2591403655408#sthash.XNlPNhUT.dpuf
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