The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has assured that the Philippine government can repatriate the more than 80,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in South Korea should the the ongoing tension in the Korean Peninsula escalates.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the situation in the Korean Peninsula also alarms Malacanang because of the hydrogen bomb testing in North Korea on September 3.
He said that there are 80,000 OFWs in South Korea that might be affected of these threats from the North Korea. Undocumented workers are not counted in the official tally.
The labor secretary also said that various livelihood programs in the Philippines will be offered to among affected migrants workers.
Meanwhile, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration OIC administrator Usec. Bernard Olalia said displaced OFWs could be endorsed to transfer to Japan and China.
The Philippine Embassy in South Korea has already released a notification about a contingency plan that will indicate where OFWs in South Korea should go if they are forced to evacuate.
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