South Korea remains 'calm' for 42,000 OFWs there, says DOLE chief




By: InterAksyon.com
 
 
InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA – The situation in South Korea remains “calm and normal” for the 42,000 Filipinos living and working there, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said in a news release Tuesday, a couple of days after North korea declared a state of war against South Korea.
To the overseas Filipino workers, Baldoz advised them to “remain calm and alert” even with the increased tension between the two Koreas.
“There is no reason to panic since the POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) is closely coordinating with the Filipino community in the region and is prepared for any possible events,” she said.

 Preparations
In her report to the secretary, Labor Attache to Korea Felicitas Q. Bay said that the Philippine embassy released an advisory last March 7 for the Filipino community to stay vigilant and maintain its observance of Alert Level 1 or heightened awareness.

It also constantly updates the Filipino community (Filcom) of the security situation in the country through its website, electronic mail blast, community gathering, and Filcom Leaders’ Forum.

Aside from these, POLO constantly reminded OFWs, especially those who recently arrived in the country, to always monitor the situation and to keep a handy emergency kit and money for any eventuality.

Baldoz also called on the families of OFWs deployed in South Korea to also remain calm, as the security and safety of OFWs is the topmost priority, as ordered by no less than the President himself.

“Amidst the reports of a normal situation in South Korea, our POLO in the region work closely with the embassy under one-country-team approach and would never let its guards down. It will continuously and constantly monitor the developments in the region and will always be prepared to ensure that our OFWs will stay safe and away from danger,” she said.
As of February 28, 2013, the labor department said there are 42,057 Filipino residents in Korea.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more