OFWs in Libya need budget, not 'photo op,' says Senator Villar

Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in strife-torn countries like Libya need additional budget more than photo opportunities, Senator Manuel Villar said Tuesday. At the same time, Villar, who lost the May 2010 presidential race to Presdient Benigno Aquino III, gave newly appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario for risking life and limb by going to Libya, before criticizing the move as unnecessary. "Binabati ko naman si DFA secretary sa kanyang katapangan na pumunta doon pero ang kailangan ng ating mga OFW na kababayan, eh, hindi si DFA secretary. Ang kailangan nila'y pera para sila'y makauwi dito... Photo ops lang ‘yan. (I congratulate the DFA secretary for his bravery in going there, but what our OFWs need is not DFA secretary. What they need is money for them to come home here. Those are only photo ops)," Villar told reporters Tuesday at the Senate. The government's repatriation efforts are being hampered because the allocation for such incidents is not enough under the 2011 budget, he said. "Tayo'y medyo may kabagalan, sapagkat walang pera (We are kind of slow, because there is no money)," he said. The Aquino administration slashed from P156 million to P78 million the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) 2011 budget allocation for helping its nationals. This is the allocation from which the department sources funds for repatriation, according to the senator. Villar said he had earlier proposed that the budget for assistance to nationals be increased five-folds. The budget was realigned, but he didn't know where the money was re-allotted by the Aquino administration, he added. "’Di ko talaga maintindihan... Ang liit na nga binawasan pa... Kung ako kasi, kung mga ilang doble lang, gagawin ko ‘yan para sa mga OFW (I really don't understand… It’s already small, still they slashed it. If it were me, doubling it by how many times more, I would do that for the OFWs)," he said. The government should create a quick response team that could be scrambled fast whenever and wherever OFWs need help, he said, noting that the DFA should start identifying countries where political and social unrest as what is now happening in Libya might erupt. "Dapat tayo nangunguna dito, dahil ang ating bansa ay masyadong umaasa sa mga OFW... Hindi tayo dapat nahuhuli (We should lead in this, because country depends a lot on OFWs... We shouldn't get left behind)," he said. In praise of Del Rosario Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Lito Lapid, for their part, lauded Del Rosario for leading the repatriation efforts in Libya. "Mabuti ‘yun hands on, at saka mapag-aaralan nila problema dun (That’s good, hands on, and they can assess the problem there)," Enrile said in an interview Tuesday. "Kahanga-hanga ang ginawa ni Secretary Del Rosario. Isinuong niya ang kanyang buhay at personal na kaligtasan masiguro lamang niya na maging ligtas ang may 400 Pinoy workers (Secretary Del Rosario did an amazing thing. He risked his life and personal safety just to ensure the safety of 400 Filipino workers)," Lapid said in a statement Tuesday. Villar's OFW help desk Also on Tuesday, Villar met with the 18 OFWs he assisted through his help desk Sagip OFW. The OFWs were rescued from the Khandara Bridge in Jeddah and were repatriated by the DFA last month. They asked Villar to shoulder their transportation back to their respective provinces. — VS, GMA News