Manila: The palace on Wednesday allayed fears among Filipino migrant workers in Syria over the perceived lack of job opportunities in their home country as it said livelihood assistance for repatriates are already in place.
“We are giving assistance to the Department of Labour and Employment, we provide small start up funds (to returning Filipinos) that we believe will somehow provide the assistance that they need until such time that they can be deployed to other countries who have open opportunities for them,” Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
The palace assistance spokesperson made the statement amid perceptions that the scarcity of opportunities in their home country is what holding back Filipinos in Syria from being repatriated despite the increasing violence in certain areas in the Middle East country.
“Again, allow us to reiterate that if you (overseas Filipino workers) feel that your safety is threatened please contact the embassy and allow them to repatriate you,” Valte noted adding that the DFA has been exerting all-out efforts to account for the OFWs regardless of whether they are documented or not.
“Secretary (Albert) Del Rosario of Foreign Affairs said that there is no distinction between the documented and undocumented Filipinos in Syria when it comes to government’s repatriation efforts,” Valte said.
Earlier, Del Rosario, who visited Syria to look into the situation of Philippine nationals there, said most of the Filipinos he had talked with were apprehensive of returning to their home country because they believe they would be better off staying.
“I did not see many people who wanted to be repatriated. In fact, I did not talk to anyone who wants to be repatriated,” he was quoted in reports as saying.
He said that the majority of Filipinos in Syria, or 95 per cent, are employed as household staff.
“I think those signing for repatriation are those who are not treated well by their employers,” he said.
On Monday, the government has reiterated an appeal to over 4,000 Filipinos who are still in Syria to heed the government’s call for mandatory repatriation.
Most of the Filipinos in Syria do not posses documents that permit them to stay in the country over a prolonged period to work.
The Philippine Embassy in Damascus reported that the capital remains on high alert following the back-to-back car bombings there.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Del Rosario flew to Syria recently to personally lead the agency’s efforts to convince the Filipinos to have themselves repatriated to Manila at government’s expense.
The Philippines has so far repatriated 434 Filipinos back to Manila since the start of the political crisis in Syria in March. Of this number, 349 were repatriated after the Philippine government called for their voluntary repatriation in August.
