41 more Pinoys arriving from Syria as world awaits US air strikes
(Updated 8:30 p.m.) At least 41 overseas Filipino workers are due home this week from strife-torn Syria, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said Sunday morning, even as he reiterated his appeal to OFWs there to voluntarily submit themselves for repatriation.
In an interview on "News TV Live," Hernandez said the batch of 41 OFWs is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Tuesday via an Etihad Airways flight.
"Two days ago, mayroong 96 OFWs, karamihan sa kanila undocumented, na dumating," he added.
Hernandez noted the government has been able to bring home 4,728 Filipino workers from Syria since Manila declared a mandatory repatriation policy in 2011.
According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on the sidelines of the budget hearing at the House of Representatives last Thursday, there are still 3,333 OFWs in Syria.
"So tuloy-tuloy po ang repatriation at hinihikayat po natin ang ating mga kababayan na magpa-register na doon sa ating embahada at magpalikas, magpa-repatriate kaagad para makabalik sa Pilipinas," said Hernandez.
Malacañang on Sunday also urged Filipinos in Syria to either return home to the Philippines or at least evacuate to safer places as the prospect of US air strikes on Syria looms.
Hernandez said no Filipinos have been reported hurt or killed in armed confrontations in Syria so far.
"So far, ligtas ang ating mga kababayan," he said. "Pero alam po nating lumalala ang sitwasyon sa Syria kaya gusto po nating umapela sa ating mga kababayan na sana magpa-repatriate na sila."
He added that the Philippine embassies in Damasus, the capital of Syria, and Beiru, the capital of Lebanon, are assisting in the repatriation process.
"Handa po ang ating embahada, hindi lamang sa Damascus, pero doon sa Beirut, kung saan dinadaan natin ang ating mga OFW na nire-repatriate natin...," Hernandez said.
Reintegration program
Hernandez assured the repatriates of livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment's reintegration program.
"'Yung DOLE po handa sila sa kanilang reintegration program. Hindi lang iyan, maaari rin po silang tulungan para makapagtrabaho sa ibang bansang ligtas 'yung sitwasyon. Huwag po silang mag-atubili na bumalik ng Pilipinas para po sa kanilang kaligtasan," he said.
Longer, more intense attacks now planned
Meanwhile, a Reuters report on Sunday hinted at looming US air strikes on Syria.
"President Barack Obama told his war-weary country that America needs to use limited military force in Syria to deter future chemical weapons attacks, but said he did not want to enter into another costly and protracted war," Reuters said .
"This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan," Reuters quoted Obama as saying.
"Any action we take would be limited, both in time and scope – designed to deter the Syrian government from gassing its own people again and degrade its ability to do so," Obama added.
According to an Agence France-Presse report, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that the Pentagon is readying three days of attacks on Syria, longer and more intense than originally planned.— Amanda Fernandez/LBG/BM/HS, GMA News
In an interview on "News TV Live," Hernandez said the batch of 41 OFWs is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Tuesday via an Etihad Airways flight.
"Two days ago, mayroong 96 OFWs, karamihan sa kanila undocumented, na dumating," he added.
Hernandez noted the government has been able to bring home 4,728 Filipino workers from Syria since Manila declared a mandatory repatriation policy in 2011.
According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on the sidelines of the budget hearing at the House of Representatives last Thursday, there are still 3,333 OFWs in Syria.
"So tuloy-tuloy po ang repatriation at hinihikayat po natin ang ating mga kababayan na magpa-register na doon sa ating embahada at magpalikas, magpa-repatriate kaagad para makabalik sa Pilipinas," said Hernandez.
Malacañang on Sunday also urged Filipinos in Syria to either return home to the Philippines or at least evacuate to safer places as the prospect of US air strikes on Syria looms.
Hernandez said no Filipinos have been reported hurt or killed in armed confrontations in Syria so far.
"So far, ligtas ang ating mga kababayan," he said. "Pero alam po nating lumalala ang sitwasyon sa Syria kaya gusto po nating umapela sa ating mga kababayan na sana magpa-repatriate na sila."
He added that the Philippine embassies in Damasus, the capital of Syria, and Beiru, the capital of Lebanon, are assisting in the repatriation process.
"Handa po ang ating embahada, hindi lamang sa Damascus, pero doon sa Beirut, kung saan dinadaan natin ang ating mga OFW na nire-repatriate natin...," Hernandez said.
Reintegration program
Hernandez assured the repatriates of livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment's reintegration program.
"'Yung DOLE po handa sila sa kanilang reintegration program. Hindi lang iyan, maaari rin po silang tulungan para makapagtrabaho sa ibang bansang ligtas 'yung sitwasyon. Huwag po silang mag-atubili na bumalik ng Pilipinas para po sa kanilang kaligtasan," he said.
Longer, more intense attacks now planned
Meanwhile, a Reuters report on Sunday hinted at looming US air strikes on Syria.
"President Barack Obama told his war-weary country that America needs to use limited military force in Syria to deter future chemical weapons attacks, but said he did not want to enter into another costly and protracted war," Reuters said .
"This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan," Reuters quoted Obama as saying.
"Any action we take would be limited, both in time and scope – designed to deter the Syrian government from gassing its own people again and degrade its ability to do so," Obama added.
According to an Agence France-Presse report, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that the Pentagon is readying three days of attacks on Syria, longer and more intense than originally planned.— Amanda Fernandez/LBG/BM/HS, GMA News
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