DFA: PHL eyes voluntary repatriation in Iraq

Citing the security reasons, the Philippine government informed Iraq of its plan to raise the alert level in that country to "3" and encourage the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos there.   In a news release on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari assured DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario that the Iraqi government would do its best to keep Filipinos out of harm's way.   "In view of the escalating bombing incidents and the apparent diminution of security for (Filipino) nationals, Secretary Del Rosario informed Minister Zebari of the Philippine Government's intention to raise the alert level over Iraq, excluding Kurdistan, to three (3), which would lead to offering voluntary repatriation to our nationals," the DFA said. According to Del Rosario, Zebari said "the Iraqi Government will be providing all the assistance in order to protect our nationals and to bring them out of harm's way, if needed." The DFA said there are 279 Filipinos registered with the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad and 192 in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region, which has remained relatively peaceful. Del Rosario said Zebari lauded Filipinos in Iraq for their skills and work ethic.   "Minister Zebari praised the world-renowned knowledge, expertise, and work ethic of the Filipino expatriate worker, noting the number of excellent Filipino professionals he has met in London and other places he visited as his country's chief diplomat," Del Rosario said. Del Rosario went to Iraq last week to check on the welfare of Filipinos there.   The DFA said Del Rosario's visit was an important milestone in Philippine-Iraqi relations. It was the first visit conducted by a Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary in more than 20 years. Del Rosario and Zebari's meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Iraqi capital. Among the officials who were with Del Rosario were: DFA Undersecretaries Rafael Seguis and Esteban Conejos Jr., Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Petronila Garcia, Embassy Charge d'Affaires Marlowe Miranda, and Labor Attache Angel Borja, who is based in Syria.   Bilateral cooperation   Meanwhile, Del Rosario and Zebari also discussed the possible ways of expanding bilateral cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, labor, health, culture and people-to-people exchanges.   Del Rosario also invited Zebari, who has agreed to visit the Philippines in the second quarter of this year, for the 6th Philippine-Iraq Joint Consultative Meeting, to map out the targets of cooperation. - VVP, GMA News