September 28, 2008
VILLAR URGES FORMATION OF EMERGENCY GROUP TO HELP
STRANDED PINOYS IN MIDDLE EAST
Senate President Manny Villar today urged the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) to form an emergency multi-sectoral group specifically
for the purpose of helping the 2,700 Filipinos stranded along the
Oman-United Arab Emirates (UAE) border and 5,000 more in the Iran-UAE
border.
Villar said the group, composed of the DFA, Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration,
the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. or other respected
organizations of recruitment agencies and labor organizations, will
be the lead authority in helping come up with concrete measure to
help the stranded Pinoys.
“Government must show firm resolve in ending this crisis.
Assistance to our more than 7000 stranded kababayans must be immediately
extended,” Villar said.
“The Assistance to Nationals Fund of DFA and other OFW funds
administered by OWWA must be released soonest for immediate evacuation,
safekeeping, repatriation or simply to purchase basic necessities
for the distressed migrant workers,” he added.
The Nacionalista Party president also said he is willing to help
in the repatriation of stranded Filipinos back to the Philippines.
Villar also urged the Philippine embassy in Oman to do their best
to appeal to the Oman sultanate to help resolve the crisis.
“In the meantime, we expect the embassy officials to help
distressed Filipinos there facilitate their visas and papers,”
he added.
Villar noted that many Filipinos were forced to leave UAE after
it implemented on July 29 a new visit visa law that requires previous
visa holders to reapply as tourists, resulting in the rejection
of thousands of visa applications from Filipinos.
The visit visa procedure has become the easiest way for Filipinos
who want to work in the Middle East, doing away with the costly
and difficult process of the normal OFW deployment, he said.
“We also gathered reports that many of the stranded Filipinos
survive in poor conditions and take refuge in crammed hotel space
in Oman,” he added.
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