DFA: Teams to assist Filipinos in Libya

Published February 24, 2011 8:08am

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday that teams from the DFA office in Manila and the Philippine embassies in Cairo and Tripoli will be assisting Filipinos in Libya amid the violent protests there aimed at ending the decades-old rule of Muammar Gaddafi. The six-man team from the DFA in Manila led by DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) Executive Director Ricardo Endaya are expected to arrive in Tripoli on Thursday, the DFA said in a statement issued on Thursday. Together with Philippine Embassy personnel, they will assist the Filipinos who are availing of the voluntary repatriation program implemented by the Embassy and the DFA. A team from the Embassy in Cairo, led by Consul General Renato Duenas, Jr., has set up a command post at the Egyptian border to assist Filipinos who will be exiting Libya from Benghazi, Al Baida, and nearby areas. Meanwhile, a team led by DFA-OUMWA Principal Assistant Melvin Almonguera will arrive in the Tunisian border at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday (Manila time) to set up a command post for Filipinos who will be exiting from Tripoli and nearby areas. The Tunisian government has approved landing rights for aircraft chartered to fly out OFWs and visa upon arrival. Together with the Filipino community coordinators, the teams will help Filipinos move to safe relocation sites in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Al Baida. The Embassy has activated relocation sites in Tripoli and Benghazi for the Filipinos:

the Philippine School in Tripoli;

the St. Francis Catholic Church in Tripoli, and

two Philippine Schools in Benghazi. For Filipinos employed by companies with repatriation plans, they are encouraged to take part in their employers' repatriation program. The DFA and the Embassy have encouraged to begin repatriation efforts, in coordination with the Embassy. The repatriates from Tripoli will proceed to Tunis in Tunisia. Those from Benghazi and Al Baida will proceed to Alexandria in Egypt by land. From there, they will catch flights to Manila, the DFA said. The DFA has officially asked the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist in arranging commercial flights and ensuring that OFWs are included in any IOM-sponsored evacuation of migrant workers from Libya. The DFA has released an initial amount of US$150,000 to the Embassy. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), on the other hand, has committed P25 million to assist in the repatriation efforts. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will release P100 million for the same purpose. Meanwhile, Embassy officials and community coordinators in Libya are contacting the Filipinos in inquire about their condition and inform them of the Embassyâ€™s voluntary repatriation program. They have also advised Filipinos not to venture outside, especially if there are protest actions nearby. â€“ VVP, GMA News

Tags: departmentofforeignaffairs, libya, pinoysinlibya, filipinosinlibya