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Tuesday, February 04, 2003
GMA visit boosts OFW's moral in Kuwait
By She Caguimbal-Torres
MANILA -- President Arroyo urged the Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) in Kuwait to help her assure their relatives back home that the government has prioritized their safety and welfare should war in the Persian Gulf erupts.
Mrs. Arroyo in a gathering with OFWs in Kuwait noted that the Filipino community in this oil-rich country is more "relaxed" compared to their relatives in the Philippines.
Kuwaiti Emir, Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, has also elevated Arroyo's working visit into an official state visit and has accorded her the full state honors.
Arroyo and her small party is due to return to the Philippines early Tuesday morning (Manila time) and will give her arrival statement at the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Pasay City at 8:15 a.m.
Arroyo, during her meeting with OFWs in Kuwait's Bayan Palace late Sunday, said she advanced her September visit to Kuwait because of the war threat in Iraq. She said she wanted to see what else could be done for them aside from the contingency measures.
"I come in a mission of peace and a journey of hope in the middle of the current crisis surrounding Iraq. I also come as the leader of the Philippines concerned about the safety of the 50,000 Filipino citizens in Kuwait and the 1.5 million Filipinos in the Middle East," she said.
She said the protection of OFWs all over the world occupies her administration's highest priorities because of their contribution to the economy.
"I am not here to discuss politics or military alliances. I am here primarily to assure our Filipino citizens that your government cares for you," she said.
"I am here to bring you the message that your families back home live and breathe for you. I am here to bring you the message that we will do whatever it takes to keep you out of harm's way," she added.
"I am happy to see that you are not unduly alarmed. I know you are anxious but I am glad to see that you are taking things in stride. This is the message I will return to your loved ones in the Philippines. They should not worry too much because their loved ones are relaxed and that the Philippine government is prepared for any eventuality," Arroyo told the OFWs.
She asked the OFWs, who swarmed over her for pictures and autographs, to help her deliver the message through their calls, text messages, and letters.
Arroyo said most of the OFWs are prepared to stay in Kuwait. She said special envoy Roy Cimatu, head of the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT), will stay and make sure the contingency plan is implemented. She said she has seen the plan and is satisfied with it.
Mrs. Arroyo said she has ordered Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas to place a P1-billion fund from OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) on standby in case of war. "It will not be spent.
It will be returned to the OWWA and utilized to improve service delivery and enhance the benefits of the OFWs who, after all, own the fund," she also said.
In a television interview, Arroyo said the evacuation center between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is ready for OFWs in Kuwait in case war breaks out in nearby Iraq.
In her command conference with Philippine diplomats and labor officials in the Middle East, the President said nobody should make a political issue out of her visit to Kuwait.
"Some people have questioned the wisdom of my coming here. But I must say that I deeply share the concerns and anxieties of our overseas workers and those of their families back home. There are concerns not only about their safety but also about the continuity and stability of their jobs. And it is my duty as their president to provide you, their stewards in the Middle East, with personal leadership in attending to these concerns because I believe they are important to our national interest," she said.
She also told them to guard the OFWs against terrorism while calling for prayers for peace in the Middle East.
"It is not too late for humanity to prevail and peace to overcome. It is within the power of the Iraqi leadership to put its people and the citizens of the world on notice that they aspire not to conflict and suffering but rather to a legacy of compassion and humanity. I hope they heed the call of their people and do what is right," she said.
"The peace-loving people of the Philippines wish for nothing less than a good life and a place within the family of nations. Yet we must understand that to stand proud and live free we must stand for what is right. This has never been more apparent to me than during my visit to Kuwait," she added.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a radio interview from Kuwait that the ambassadors and labor officials gave country-specific contingency measures in their areas of jurisdiction. He said Arroyo was pleased with their state of readiness.
He said Arroyo also visited the house of a dead Kuwaiti princess to express
the Philippines' sympathies.
Personal briefing
President Arroyo in her expected arrival Tuesday morning at the Philippine Trade and Training Center along Roxas Boulevard from Kuwait will personally brief
families of OFWs about the situation in Kuwait.
During her talked with OFWs in Kuwait received letters from OFWs which she promised to deliver to their loved ones in the Philippines.
Families of OFWs are expected to attend the special briefing to be given personally by the President.
Owwa on behalf of families of OFWs working in Kuwait and other countries near Iraq where a war is threatening to erupt requested the briefing.
The President responded favorably to the request as she sympathized with the real concerns of these families. She fully recognized their need for authoritative information and official reassurances that the Philippine government is doing everything to keep their loved ones in harm's way.
Mrs. Arroyo's briefing for the families will cover, among other topics, the preparations for possible evacuation or, if necessary, repatriation, of Filipino workers from any war-affected area.
She is also expected to reveal the results of her personal conversations with leaders of host governments, including the Emir of Kuwait, concerning provisions for protecting Filipino workers in these countries. (Sunnex Luzon) |
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