DMW ready for mass repatriation of OFWs
The Marcos administration has not decided yet on ordering a mass repatriation of the more than two million Filipinos in the Middle East in the wake of the escalating crisis in the region, but said it is prepared should the need arise.
“We’re ready for such an eventuality and with the proper resources, [both from] the private sector as well as the public sector in terms of transport by sea, air or land,” Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a briefing in Malacañang on Monday.
According to Cacdac, the DMW has already coordinated with the Department of National Defense for the possible use of military assets “at the proper time” and the agency has been in touch with private companies to provide additional land, sea and air options for repatriation.
“They are all ready and on standby,” he said.
According to Cacdac, mass repatriation of Filipinos will take effect once the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raises the alert level to the Middle East countries to the highest alert level 4.
Based on the latest DFA crisis level in the Middle East, only Gaza, Syria and Yemen are under alert level 4.
Meanwhile, Iraq and Lebanon are both at alert level 3, where voluntary repatriation is implemented.
Iran, Kurdistan, West Bank Israel stay at level 2, which automatically triggers a deployment ban for newly hired overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in these countries.
Jordan is at the lowest alert level 1, where Filipinos are urged to take necessary precautions.
No alert levels are currently imposed in the key Gulf states of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, as well as Jordan, all of which reported Iranian attacks in their territories in the past three days.
“The DFA continues to coordinate closely with Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the region and has actively monitored the situation over the past 72 hours to ascertain the status of Filipinos in their respective jurisdictions. Our posts remain on the ground and vigilant,” the DFA said in a statement, clarifying the earlier statement of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration on the alert levels issued in Middle East territories.
For the meantime, Cacdac urged Filipinos in the Middle East to follow the protocols of their respective host countries as well as advisories of the Philippine government’s foreign posts.
“Timing is everything at this stage. So for now, we will not interfere with the protocols of the host countries. We also support the call to stay indoors, stay safe, and keep out of harm’s way,” he said.
Closed airspace
The DMW chief assured the public that exit points and repatriation measures are in place to assist Filipinos affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
While mass repatriation is not yet necessary at the moment, Cacdac said that the DMW, together with other concerned government agencies, is fully prepared to respond should the situation worsen.
“We have identified exit points for those who manifested their intention to go back to the Philippines. We are working out with the [DFA] and the host countries on the manner in which we will start moving people through these exit points,” he added.
As of Monday, Cacdac said more than a hundred Filipinos stranded in the UAE and in Israel have expressed their intention to return to the Philippines.
Of these, “80 to 100 Filipinos” were in Dubai, while another 54 were in Israel.
But with the airspace of the UAE, Israel and other neighboring countries still closed, Cacdac said the Philippine government is assisting distressed Filipinos by providing in-country evacuation support.
“As this is not possible at the moment, we have transported some of them to safer ground,” he said.
Most of these Filipinos stayed in their places of residence in Dubai, while others were transferred to shelters in undisclosed locations.
The DMW has also provided basic necessities such as food and water while waiting for exit points to open or for Dubai’s airport to resume operations to facilitate repatriation.
“If there will be an opportunity, either through the designated exit points or once the airport in Dubai opens… we will repatriate them all,” Cacdac said.
Heightened alert
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police has been put on heightened alert for the possible spillover effects of tensions in the Middle East and has reinforced security around key diplomatic sites, including the American and Israeli embassies.
“We are focusing on securing key establishments and VIPs, particularly the US and Israel embassies and their activities,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a briefing on Monday.
“We have not detected a credible threat but our personnel remain vigilant and proactive,” he added.
The PNP, Nartatez said, is coordinating closely with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and other intelligence partners to ensure the early identification and prevention of “terror threats and radicalization.”
The National Security Council (NSC) has also dismissed fear-mongering claims that the Middle East crisis will spill over into the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the Philippines, due to the presence of several Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites, where US military equipment are stored.
“At this time, tensions remain confined to the region and there is no verified direct threat to Philippine territory including our military facilities,” the NSC said.
On Monday, a total of 45 flights to and from the Philippines and the Middle East have either been canceled or diverted since the attacks in Iran on Feb. 28 forced much of the region’s airspace to close indefinitely.
This is nearly double the 23 flights disrupted as of March 1, reflecting continued uncertainty over when airspace in parts of the region will reopen.
Globe Telecom Inc. is also offering free roaming services to Filipino subscribers in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait to help them stay connected with their families and access essential services given the evolving situation in the region. —WITH REPORTS FROM CHARIE ABARCA, LOGAN KAL-EL M. ZAPANTA, JASON SIGALES AND ANDREA GREGORIO
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