Pinoys urged not to seek employment in Syria

The Philippine government urged Filipinos not to sacrifice their safety just to land a job in a strife-torn country, particularly in Syria.   Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz made the appeal after receiving reports that illegally recruited and trafficked Filipinas still arrive in the strife-torn country despite the deployment ban.   “I urge our OFWs who are intent of going to Syria not to, particularly if the part of the country they are supposed to work is engulfed in civil strife,” Baldoz said.   Baldoz urged OFWs to wait for the situation to be peaceful before going to Syria. On the other hand, she advised the OFWs who are already in Syria to stay there.   “For OFWs in Syria who will return to the Philippines, we encourage them to remain in the country because there are jobs and other non-wage employment opportunities waiting for them, where the pay or income could be much greater than their salaries as domestic service workers in Syria,” she said. The Philippine Embassy estimates that there are 14,927 OFWs in Syria, but only 1.422 percent are documented, according to the POLO report.   From March to December 27 last year, 434 OFWs have already been repatriated, while 148 more OFWs are now sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resource Center. Baldoz said 1,323 OFWs seeking repatriation assistance have registered with the Philippine Embassy in Syria, including 133 documented workers.   She said the fund for the repatriation is being drawn from the Assistance to Nationals Standby Fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The deployment cost refund to employers ranges between US$2,500 to US$3,000 per person. On the other hand, the Iqama and other administrative penalties are placed at US$1,000 and airfare at US$600 per person. Meanwhile, Baldoz reported the he continued repatriation of OFWs in Syria, saying that the repatriation of 261 more OFWs in Syria are being finalized, while 447 more OFWs are being negotiated by the Philippine government with their respective employers for the next batch of repatriation.   Some 362 OFWs, including 37 were documented or regular worker, have already been repatriated since the Philippine government declared Alert Level 3 Crisis Status in Syria on August 17 last year.   On December 22 last year, the DFA raised the alert level in Syria to 4, requiring mandatory repatriation.   National Reintegration Program   Meanwhile, Baldoz urged OFWs to apply for the National Reintegration Program (NRF), which provides returning OFWs of assistance upon their return to the Philippines.   Under the NRF, OFWs can avail of a low-interest, collateral-free loan offered under the P2-billion OFW Reintegration Loan Fund, from a low of P500,000 to a maximum of P2 million for new or existing businesses.   The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration's (OWWA) "Balik-Pinay, Balik Hanapbuhay Program" for distressed women OFWs, provides a P10,000 livelihood/business development assistance to returning women OFWs.   The P10,000 is intended as a start-up capital for businesses such as trading or general merchandise sales/dealership; neighborhood store; agri-business; food service; services; e-load station; and production or manufacturing, among others. - VVP, GMA News