DFA: Contingency measures in place for Filipinos in South Korea, Guam

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday assured the public that contingency plans are in place for more than a hundred thousand of Filipinos in South Korea and Guam in case North Korea fires its missiles.

The DFA said that in separate calls, Philippine Ambassadors to Seoul Raul Hernandez and Consul General Marciano de Borja in Guam assured Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano that contingency plans for the Filipino community have been prepared.

It said that there are approximately 65,000 Filipinos in South Korea and 42,835 in Guam.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs today assured the public that contingency measures are in place in case the People Democratic Republic of Korea makes good its threat to fire missiles towards Guam," the department said in a statement.

GMA News was able to obtain a copy of the contingency plan for Filipinos in Guam. The plan includes the evacuation of Filipinos back to the Philippines using chartered planes and the transfer of the consulate office in case North Korea makes good its threat to strike Guam.

North Korea issued the threat after President Donald Trump said that Pyongyang will be met with "fire and fury" if it continues to threaten the United States.

The DFA also called on the US and North Korea to "exercise restraint" and take necessary steps to prevent an escalation of the situation.

Malacañang made the same call in a separate statement.

"The Philippines reiterates its call for continued exercise of self-restraint in order to de-escalate the tension and to refrain from actions that may aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula" presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

He said the DFA is closely monitoring the situation in Guam and South Korea. —Margaret Claire Layug/ALG, GMA News