 |
ALVAREZ SEEKS ASSURANCE OF OFWs’ SAFETY IN SAUDI
December 22, 2003
Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez is seeking information from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the status of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia in the face of a renewed alert on terrorism in the kingdom.
There are hundreds of thousands of OFWs in Saudi Arabia and Alvarez said their safety is the government’s prime concern.
Alvarez is Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Communities.
The United States Department of State has advised non-essential personnel of the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia to leave following intelligence reports of imminent attacks by international terrorists.
The US State Department also urged all American citizens residing or working in the kingdom to leave and advised prospective American travelers to Saudi Arabia to defer their plans.
Alvarez said he plans to confer with officials of the DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia on the steps to be taken should the situation in the kingdom get worse.
He said he wanted to be briefed on the evacuation plans for the OFWs, particularly on the availability of airplanes, how fast the embassy can alert the workers of such plans and gather them in holding areas, how adequate the provisions are for the evacuees and how soon they could be flown out of the danger zone.
He said he wanted to keep President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo up to date on developments affecting Filipino workers not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other Middle East countries and elsewhere where their safety would be at risk.
|
|
|
