DFA: Funds sufficient for repatriating Pinoys from Japan
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured the public that the government has enough funds to repatriate Filipinos from areas in Japan threatened by radiation from a quake-crippled nuclear plant there.
DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said the funds will come from the DFA’s Assistance To Nationals (ATN) unit, and may be replenished by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“Yung cost ng isang chartered flight ay nasa $200,000. At may pera pa naman tayo sa DFA para sa halagang ito. At occasionally nagkakaroon tayo ng replenishment galing sa DBM," Malaya said in an interview on dwIZ radio.
(The cost of a chartered flight is $200,000. We in the DFA have the funds for it. Occasionally, the DBM will replenish our ATN fund.)
Mandatory repatriation
After the Japanese government raised the crisis or severity level in the Fukushima area from "5" to the highest level of "7," DFA on Tuesday announced that it will implement a mandatory repatriation for Filipinos within 50 kilometers (km) of the crippled nuclear power plant.
On the other hand, the DFA will implement voluntary repatriation policy for Filipinos living between 50 and 100 km from the plant.
Malaya said there are some 1,989 Filipinos within 100 km of the Fukushima nuclear plant.
He said the DFA’s initial plan is to relocate the Filipinos who want to be repatriated to Tokyo, or to an area near Niigata Airport.
“Generally ginagawa sa krisis na ito una ire-relocate ang ating kababayan to a safer place so maari yang Tokyo o kaya binanggit kahapon ni Secretary, pwede i-relocate to Niigata Airport area dahil may kalayuan yan sa Fukushima. From Niigata pwede sila iuwi rito sa Pilipinas," he said.
(Generally we will relocate Filipinos to a safer place either in Tokyo, or as the secretary said, to an area near Niigata Airport where they can take a flight home.)
So far, the government has relocated 157 Filipinos from Fukushima and Miyagi to two relocation centers in Tokyo. They have since gone home or sought out relatives, he said.
“Wala na tayong kababayan sa relocation centers nguni’t para sa panibagong initiative natin ang ating embahada ay nagsasagawa ngayon ng arrangement para sa bago na mga relocation centers para sa bagong lilikas," he said.
(We now have no more Filipinos in relocation centers but for this new initiative we are making arrangements for the next batch of Filipinos to be evacuated from the danger zone.)
Authorities are now coordinating with these Filipinos to determine if they want to be relocated or repatriated, Malaya said.
“Sa kasalukuyan kinakausap ng ating mga kawani sa embahada ang mga kababayan natin sa affected areas at gumagawa ng listahan (Our embassy personnel are contacting them to see who among them want to be repatriated and who want to be relocated. We are drawing up the list now)," he said.
Chartered flights
Malaya said the DFA is not keen on using the government’s lone working C-130 plane to repatriate Filipinos from the affected areas.
He said the government is more keen on using chartered private planes – either a 747 or Airbus 320 – which can accommodate at least 200 Filipinos.
“Hindi C-130 ang tinitingnan ngayon. Ito ang pag-charter ng private airplanes. Ang target natin magpadala ng chartered flight sa Linggo (We are not looking to use a C-130. We plan to charter a private plane. We are aiming to have the first chartered flight take off this Sunday)," he said.
Fukushima nuclear plant
The Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant is located on a 3.5-square-km site in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
The nuclear plant became "disabled" nuclear power plant after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11.
The plant's nuclear reactor cooling systems were disabled, triggering radiation leaks and forcing the evacuation of people residing near the nuclear power plant.
Japanese authorities have raised the severity level in the nuclear plant area to "7," the highest level on an international scale overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The severity level of the crisis at the stricken nuclear plant now ranks at par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster based on the amount of radiation released in Fukushima plant in Japan. – VVP, GMA News
DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said the funds will come from the DFA’s Assistance To Nationals (ATN) unit, and may be replenished by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“Yung cost ng isang chartered flight ay nasa $200,000. At may pera pa naman tayo sa DFA para sa halagang ito. At occasionally nagkakaroon tayo ng replenishment galing sa DBM," Malaya said in an interview on dwIZ radio.
(The cost of a chartered flight is $200,000. We in the DFA have the funds for it. Occasionally, the DBM will replenish our ATN fund.)
Mandatory repatriation
After the Japanese government raised the crisis or severity level in the Fukushima area from "5" to the highest level of "7," DFA on Tuesday announced that it will implement a mandatory repatriation for Filipinos within 50 kilometers (km) of the crippled nuclear power plant.
On the other hand, the DFA will implement voluntary repatriation policy for Filipinos living between 50 and 100 km from the plant.
Malaya said there are some 1,989 Filipinos within 100 km of the Fukushima nuclear plant.
He said the DFA’s initial plan is to relocate the Filipinos who want to be repatriated to Tokyo, or to an area near Niigata Airport.
“Generally ginagawa sa krisis na ito una ire-relocate ang ating kababayan to a safer place so maari yang Tokyo o kaya binanggit kahapon ni Secretary, pwede i-relocate to Niigata Airport area dahil may kalayuan yan sa Fukushima. From Niigata pwede sila iuwi rito sa Pilipinas," he said.
(Generally we will relocate Filipinos to a safer place either in Tokyo, or as the secretary said, to an area near Niigata Airport where they can take a flight home.)
So far, the government has relocated 157 Filipinos from Fukushima and Miyagi to two relocation centers in Tokyo. They have since gone home or sought out relatives, he said.
“Wala na tayong kababayan sa relocation centers nguni’t para sa panibagong initiative natin ang ating embahada ay nagsasagawa ngayon ng arrangement para sa bago na mga relocation centers para sa bagong lilikas," he said.
(We now have no more Filipinos in relocation centers but for this new initiative we are making arrangements for the next batch of Filipinos to be evacuated from the danger zone.)
Authorities are now coordinating with these Filipinos to determine if they want to be relocated or repatriated, Malaya said.
“Sa kasalukuyan kinakausap ng ating mga kawani sa embahada ang mga kababayan natin sa affected areas at gumagawa ng listahan (Our embassy personnel are contacting them to see who among them want to be repatriated and who want to be relocated. We are drawing up the list now)," he said.
Chartered flights
Malaya said the DFA is not keen on using the government’s lone working C-130 plane to repatriate Filipinos from the affected areas.
He said the government is more keen on using chartered private planes – either a 747 or Airbus 320 – which can accommodate at least 200 Filipinos.
“Hindi C-130 ang tinitingnan ngayon. Ito ang pag-charter ng private airplanes. Ang target natin magpadala ng chartered flight sa Linggo (We are not looking to use a C-130. We plan to charter a private plane. We are aiming to have the first chartered flight take off this Sunday)," he said.
Fukushima nuclear plant
The Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant is located on a 3.5-square-km site in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
The nuclear plant became "disabled" nuclear power plant after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11.
The plant's nuclear reactor cooling systems were disabled, triggering radiation leaks and forcing the evacuation of people residing near the nuclear power plant.
Japanese authorities have raised the severity level in the nuclear plant area to "7," the highest level on an international scale overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The severity level of the crisis at the stricken nuclear plant now ranks at par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster based on the amount of radiation released in Fukushima plant in Japan. – VVP, GMA News
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