PHL Embassy in Egypt sends food, water to trapped Pinoys

While no Filipino has been reported hurt so far amid the ongoing political tension in Egypt, some are "trapped" and are getting food and water supplies from the Philippine Embassy in the troubled country. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said the "trapped" Filipinos are those who could not buy their food provisions for lack of cash as many banks are closed. "May walang pera dahil ang mga bangko sarado. Ang sinumang di makabibili, pinabibigyan ni Pangulong Aquino ng food assistance sa pamamagitan ng embassy natin doon (President Benigno Aquino III had ordered the embassy to provide food to those who cannot withdraw money from the banks)," Seguis said in an interview on dzBB radio Friday. "The Philippine Embassy will bring bread and water to Filipinos who phone for help. The water in the area is not potable," he added. So far, he said, no Filipino has been killed or hurt in violent confrontations there. Also, he said relatives of Filipinos in Egypt can now contact their loved ones as mobile phone and Internet services there have been restored. "The violence may be starting to subside. There has been no remarkable recent development," he said. 1st batch of repatriates Meanwhile, Seguis said the first batch of at least 26 Filipinos from Egypt is due to arrive in Manila on Sunday. "May parating sa Linggo sa Feb. 6, mga 26 sila," he said, adding the repatriation is voluntary because most Filipinos in there still do not want to leave the country. While Seguis hinted there may be a second batch of repatriates, they may wait for this group to reach 200 before sending another flight. But a DFA press release updated Thursday night said 27 and not 26 Filipinos are expected to return home – 13 women, nine minors and five men. "Three are nurses from the Dar Al Fouad Hospital, while the rest are household service workers and Filipino scholars at the Al-Azhar University. The scholars will be joined by their families," the DFA's updated press release said. It said 16 Filipinos are from Cairo's Maadi area, three are from the Dar Al Fouad Hospital in Giza, five are from Nasr City and one from Zamalek. Two are already at the Embassy's Filipino Workers Resource Center. "The Embassy received assistance in making arrangements for the repatriates' flights from the International Organization for Migration offices in Cairo. The Filipino community organizations are also active in assisting the repatriates," the DFA said. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV