DOLE seeks add’l budget for possible repatriation of OFWs in MidEast



By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News

The Department of Labor and Employment is asking Congress for an additional budget of about P1.1 billion for 2018 to fund the expenses in bringing home OFWs that may be affected by tensions in Qatar, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III attended the bicameral conference committee meeting at the House of Representatives on Thursday for the proposed 2018 General Appropriations Act, representing the agency as it requests for additional budgetary allocation.
"You are aware of the situation in Qatar in relation with their diplomatic relations with the Middle East countries and also in the case of Lebanon and in Saudi [Arabia]. Our labor attache there  needs some contingency plans which may have to be implemented in case the situation worsens," Bello told reporters.
"Pero right now, hindi pa naman critical kundi meron lang cause to prepare for this plan," he added.
According to Bello, no less than 240,000 documented OFWs are currently in Qatar.
He said they are asking Congress to give them P850 million for possible repatriation expenses and another P200 to P300 million for reintegration.
"If you bring them back, we cannot afford to leave them unassisted. So we will have to provide them with initial financial assistance and then also livelihood," he said.
If the situation worsens, Bello said they may have to repatriate all OFWs.
"Kung hindi naman, kagaya ng our experience sa Saudi, marami sa kanila opted to stay notwithstanding the situation. Pero we have to prepare for that eventuality," Bello said.
Bello said Senate and House leaders seem to be open to the idea. "Hindi sila umo-oo, pero hindi rin naman sila himi-hindi. So may pag-asa," he said.
If their request is not granted, Bello said they will have to rely on their own resources or seek assistance from the Office of the President. —KBK, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POPCOM, gagamit ng ‘digital platforms’ para pagtibayin ang mga ugnayang pampamilya

Mas pinalalawig ng Komisyon sa Populasyon at Pagpapaunlad (POPCOM) ang adhikain nitong pagpapalaganap at pagpapabuti ng pakikipag-ugnayan ng mga nakakatandang Pilipino sa kanilang mga anak na nagdadalaga at nagbibinata. Nitong Setyembre 21, ang POPCOM ay nagsagawa ng isang “parent-teen talk webinar” gamit ang Zoom, kung saan ang isang “interactive program” ang nagbigay ng naaayon na kaalaman at kasanayan sa mga magulang, habang tumulong ito sa mga anak na teenager na maabot ang kanilang buong potensyal. Hinikayat din nito ang mga nanay at tatay na sumali sa malayang usapan, lalo na sa mga usapin ukol sa sex at sekswalidad, na nakikitang makakatulong upang bumaba ang mga bilang ng mga pagbubuntis sa hanay ng mga kabataan. Maaaring mapanood ang webinar sa https://youtu.be/lZ9jrJCjYas. Ayon kay Ikalawang Kalihim (Undersecretary) Juan Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH, “ang webinar ay naging isang tagapag-simula at ‘padaluyan’ ng pag-uu
Read more

Biden said set to make push for demilitarized Palestinian state as part of new doctrine ---By LAZAR BERMAN

New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, who’s close to the US administration, says emerging doctrine would include Saudi-Israeli normalization, 2-state solution, and campaign against Iran US President Joe Biden’s administration is homing in on a new doctrine involving an unprecedented push to immediately advance the creation of a demilitarized but viable Palestinian state, The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman reported on Thursday. The plan, Friedman wrote, “would involve some form of US recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that would come into being only once Palestinians had developed a set of defined, credible institutions and security capabilities to ensure that this state was viable and that it could never threaten Israel.” White House officials “have been consulting experts inside and outside the US government about different forms this recognition of Palestinian statehood might take,” revealed Friedman. What he termed the new “Biden Doctrin
Read more

In Cairo, senior Hamas officials discuss hostage deal with Egyptian intelligence chief ---By TOI STAFF, AGENCIES and LAZAR BERMAN

Delegation said led by terror group’s Qatar-based political leader Ismail Haniyeh; Wall Street Journal reports Hamas demanding 150 security prisoners for each female soldier A delegation of senior Hamas officials arrived in Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials on a possible deal that would see the release of hostages held by terrorists in Gaza. The delegation was led by Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar, and included senior members Mousa Abu Marzook and Khalil al-Hayya, the Qatar-based Al-Araby news outlet reported, citing an unnamed Egyptian source. The Hamas officials met with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel, to discuss the details of a hostage deal proposal that was presented to the Gaza terror group earlier this week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The outline of the deal was drawn up during a meeting in Paris last week in the presence of Israeli and US officials, as well as Qatari and Egyptian negotiators, a
Read more