Senator Raffy Tulfo has urged the government and other concerned agencies to come up with a contingency plan for around 200,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan, before tensions escalate with China.
Tulfo said that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Philippine Overseas Labor & Office (POLO) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should have a coordinated plan in order to make sure Filipinos in Taiwan will be safe.
“The tension between China and Taiwan is not something to be taken lightly. Dapat ngayon pa lamang ay gumagawa na ng contingency plan ang DFA, OWWA, at POLO in the event na lumala ang problemang ito. This is the perfect time for government agencies to show their united force by working together for the safety and security of our workers abroad,” he said in a statement.
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“In my experience of helping OFWs in the past two decades, the government agencies, oftentimes, were very reactive instead of proactive. Kapag nandiyan na ang gulo at problema, yung tipong na-stuck na ang OFWs sa ibang bansa, wala ng pera at makain, tsaka lamang sila kikilos. Hindi dapat ganoon,” he added.
Tulfo insists the gov’t should be acting now and not wait for the tensions to worsen.
“Ngayon pa lamang, dapat kumilos na tayo at ‘wag nang antaying lumala pa ang sitwasyon bago tayo umaksyon. We should be ready to evacuate OFWs in the event that the current situation escalates into a war,” he added.
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Tulfo said the concerned government agencies, in coordination with the national government, should consider many factors, including the safety and funding assistance for OFWs.
“The situation for OFWs in Taiwan is fraught with too much risk and many Filipino workers are now worried about their future abroad. Una nating kailangang siguraduhin ay ang kaligtasan ng OFWs dahil napakahalaga ng buhay ng bawat isa sa kanila,” he continued.
“The national government should provide enough funding assistance to all Filipino workers to ensure that they can smoothly re-enter the country once they are evacuated,” Tulfo continued.
