ILOILO – Beginning Friday, Jan. 10, the provincial government would be operating a 24/7 helpdesk for Ilonggos with relatives in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Iraq.
Queries would be channeled to concerned government agencies dealing with the situation of Filipinos in the two tension-filled Arab states.
Yesterday, the national government ordered the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in Iraq.
Tension is escalating in the volatile region following the United States’ assassination of Iran’s top military general who was visiting Iraq’s capital, Baghdad on Jan. 3.
There are 30 Western Visayans currently working and residing in Iran and Iraq, data from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 6 showed. There could be undocumented Ilonggo workers there, too.
According to OWWA case welfare officer Jack Arroyo, three families sought his agency’s help on Jan. 7 to repatriate relatives working as truck drivers in Iraq.
The helpdesk would be positioned at the capitol lobby and equipped with telephone and Wi-Fi connections for efficient communication.
“Considering the time zone difference between the Philippines and the Middle East, we advise relatives to visit the helpdesk in the evening,” said Provincial Administrator Suzette Mamon.
Early yesterday Iran struck back at the United States by firing a series of ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops.
Upon the order of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., Vice Gov. Christine Garin, the acting governor, called for an emergency meeting yesterday with concerned government agencies to discuss possible assistance for distressed Ilonggo overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East.
The provincial government will create Task Force Bulig Ilonggo to coordinate the assistance of the provincial government and partner agencies.
It will likewise activate the Migration and Development Council to be spearheaded by the Public Employment Service Office. The council is tasked to reintegrate the displaced OFWs to local employment.
Those in attendance at the emergency meeting were Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Rolando Distura, chairperson of the Committee on Labor and Employment; and representatives of the Department of Labor and Employment (Regional Director Cyril Ticao), Overseas Workers Welfare Association (case welfare officer Jack Arroyo), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (officer-in-charge Rhea Glenda Calantas), and Department of Foreign Affairs.
In a Facebook Live yesterday, Chargé d’Affaires Jomar Sadie said Iraq has been placed under Alert Level 4, or mandatory repatriation.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the raising of Alert Level 4 in Iraq was “a result of the government’s coordination meetings on the situation in the Middle East in the past few days.”
“The Alert Level in the entire Iraq has been raised to Alert Level 4 calling for mandatory evacuation,” DFA Assistance Secretary Eduardo Meñez told reporters in a message.
Sadie advised Filipinos in Iraq to coordinate with the embassy as well as their respective employers.
Filipinos may secure their exit visas and plane tickets needed for their repatriation from their employers, he noted.
“If you do not have an employer or if you’re a victim of human trafficking, you can call us so that we can extend help or you can directly go to the embassy if you are staying in Baghdad,” Sadie added.
For Filipinos whose employers would not allow them to return to the Philippines, Sadie also advised them to coordinate with the Philippine embassy.
Filipinos in need of assistance can contact the embassy at 07816066822; 07516167838; 07518764665; 07508105240 or through the email baghdad.pe@dfa.gov.ph or embaphilbaghdad.secretary1@gmail.com./PN
