DFA Secretary oversees repatriation of Pinoys from Libya

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario personally reviewed this week the implementation of the Philippine government’s mandatory repatriation program for overseas Filipino workers from strife-torn Libya.

Del Rosario was in Tunisia—the main exit point for Filipinos being evacuated from Libya—last March 12 and 13, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.

He met with 41 Filipinos who recently left Libya and are to fly out of Tunis to the Philippines soon, the DFA said.

The Philippine government is calling on Filipinos in Libya to avail of repatriation, especially following the abduction of seven Filipinos in two incidents in the past month.

Del Rosario also appealed to Filipinos to urge their remaining Filipino friends and acquaintances in Libya to heed the government’s advice and return home.

So far, the DFA said at least 3,000 of more than 4,000 Filipinos since June 2014 transited through Tunisia.

Meetings

While in Tunis, del Rosario also met with the ambassadors of Austria, Bangladesh, and the Czech Republic, whose nationals were among those who were abducted following the attack on the Al Ghani oil field last March 6.

With Del Rosario were DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Rafael Seguis and Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Julius Torres.

Assisting them were Philippine Embassy Charge d’Affaires Adelio Angelito Cruz and Philippine Honorary Consul in Tunis Sonia Ayed Sayah.

There are some 4,200 Filipinos remaining in Libya. — Joel Locsin/BM, GMA News

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