Government still seeks out Filipinos in Syria

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said they continue to seek out Filipinos in tension-hit Syria for mandatory repatriation.

In a press conference Wednesday, Del Rosario said 95 percent of Filipinos in Syria are believed to be undocumented, thus making it difficult to repatriate them.

"We need to know who's there and when they want to get out," he said.

Last December 22, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the crisis alert level in Syria to “4”, thus, calling for the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos there amid the escalating tension there.

Del Rosario earlier reported that the situation in Syria's capital remains on high alert following the back-to-back car bombings last December 23.

The DFA reiterated its appeal to Filipinos in Syria to heed calls for mandatory repatriation after only 490 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) of the total 17,000 have been repatriated since tension began in March.

Del Rosario flew to Damascus in Syria earlier to personally facilitate the repatriation of some 4,000 Filipinos in the wake of escalating violence in connection with the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

He said Wednesday that the government is very grateful to the help extended by Syrian Foreign Ministry to OFWs.

He added they hope to repatriate at least 200 OFWs from Syria within the next two weeks.

However, he said some Filipinos chose to stay in Syria because of the economic opportunities there. (Sunnex)