DFA calls for info on Pinoys still in Syria
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday appealed to the families of the Filipinos in the four conflict areas of strife-torn Syria to help in the government’s repatriation efforts by providing up-to-date information about their loved ones there.
In a statement, the DFA said it particularly needs information on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in the areas of:
In a press briefing after his visit to Syria last January, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario disclosed that there were some 1,500 Filipinos in these critical areas.
“The four areas I mentioned are considered as conflict-stricken; you do not have access in the area, we’re not allowed to be there. We’re not allowed to leave Damascus without permission from the government,” he said.
Relatives of Filipinos in Syria may call the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) at (02) 834-3245 or (02) 832-3240.
Even though the Philippines has placed the alert level in Syria at “4,” which entails mandatory repatriation, Del Rosario said many Filipinos want to stay there because of the lack of economic opportunities in the Philippines.
He added that they were looking at repatriating only 10 percent of some 10,000 Filipinos there.
On Thursday, some 12 OFWs were repatriated from Syria. Some 973 Filipinos have been flown back to the Philippines so far, the DFA said. - with Rose-An Jessica Dioquino, VVP, GMA News
In a statement, the DFA said it particularly needs information on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in the areas of:
- Homs,
- Hama,
- Dara’a, and
- Idlib.
“The four areas I mentioned are considered as conflict-stricken; you do not have access in the area, we’re not allowed to be there. We’re not allowed to leave Damascus without permission from the government,” he said.
Relatives of Filipinos in Syria may call the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) at (02) 834-3245 or (02) 832-3240.
Even though the Philippines has placed the alert level in Syria at “4,” which entails mandatory repatriation, Del Rosario said many Filipinos want to stay there because of the lack of economic opportunities in the Philippines.
He added that they were looking at repatriating only 10 percent of some 10,000 Filipinos there.
On Thursday, some 12 OFWs were repatriated from Syria. Some 973 Filipinos have been flown back to the Philippines so far, the DFA said. - with Rose-An Jessica Dioquino, VVP, GMA News
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