Pinoys in Qatar told to prepare 'grab bag' of essentials in case of crisis

Philippine officials in Qatar met with Filipino groups last week to discuss contingency plans in light of "simmering political developments" in the Middle East, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.
"Although there is no imminent danger for now in Qatar and the rest of the region, it is better to be prepared in the event that such a scenario suddenly occurs," Ambassador Wilfredo Santos said in the general assembly of the United Filipino Organizations in Qatar (UFOQ) held on January 15.
Attendees, composed of members and officails of various Qatar-based Filipino community groups, were encouraged to assemble a "grab bag" of emergency essentials in the event of a crisis.
Philippine embassy officers and staff were given a month to comply with at least one grab bag for each family, the DFA said in a statement.
"The Ambassador expressed the hope that the Filipino community will do the same," it added.
During the gathering, Security Officer and Attaché John Danilo Jiao brought Filipinos up to date on the embassy's plans in case of possible emergencies. 
Labor Attaché Leopoldo De Jesus also reported on the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) initiative to assist Filipino workers who might be affected by economic and armed conflict in the area.

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