Pinoys in Egypt safe despite clashes, envoy says

Filipinos in Egypt are safe amid the clashes that erupted between the military government and protesters calling for its downfall, an official from the Philippine Embassy in Cairo said on Tuesday. In a phone interview in GMA News TV’s “On Call," Vice Consul Querubine Lacay assured the families of Filipinos in Egypt that they should not worry because the chaos is “localized." Lacay also noted that no Filipino has been reported dead or injured in the clashes, where 33 people have been killed and 1, 700 others were hurt. “Ito ay isyu sa pagitan ng lipunan ng Egypt at ng gobyerno nila. Ang atin naman pong mga kababayan ay naka-focus sa mga obligasyon nila sa kanilang pamilya at sa trabaho nila, kaya marami po sa kanila [ay] hindi sumasama sa ganitong kaguluhan," she told “On Call" host Connie Sison. For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV There are about 2, 600 Filipinos registered in Embassy records, 95 percent of them based in the capital, Cairo, Lacay said. Meanwhile, Alex Amparo, a restaurant manager there, said the situation is still “normal" for Filipinos. “Ang nagiging epekto lang naman [ay doon sa] ibang nagta-travel, nade-delay lang sila," Amparo said. He expressed no interest in coming home to the Philippines, and told his family not to worry about him and his wife. During the interview, Lacay also disclosed that they have received instructions from the attaché to update the list of Filipino community leaders, with whom they will communicate if the clashes get worse. She also assured that the Embassy has an updated contingency plan regarding the unrest in the area. The vice consul likewise asked Filipinos based in Egypt to personally monitor the events. “Kung maaari, makipag-ugnayan na rin sa Embassy para i-inform kami kung saan ang lokasyon nila at paano sila mako-contact kung sakaling may mangyari pang gulo," Lacay said. - VVP, GMA News