Well-paying jobs have been preventing some Filipinos in Ukraine from leaving the war-stricken country, a foreign affairs official said Wednesday, March 9.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola disclosed that there are still more than 100 Filipinos in Ukraine while 199 nationals have been taken out of the country who are either repatriated in the Philippines or in safe borders.
"We have a little over a hundred land-based Filipinos na ayaw pa talagang umuwi (who do not want to go home yet) but we are pleading them, calling them or asking them na umuwi na sila (to go home)," Arriola said.
The undersecretary disclosed that one of the reasons behind the overseas Filipinos' decision to stay in the foreign land amid the fighting, is their well-paying jobs. They cannot earn high wages even if they find employment in similar work in the Philippines.
"Some of them, yung mga employers nila ay (their employers) continue giving salaries para bantayan lang yung bahay (to look after their houses) and they feel that they won't be able to get that pay 'pag nandito sa Pilipinas (if they are here in the Philippines)," Arriola said.
"We understand that but we'd like to tell them that over two million na yung refugees na tumawid (refugees have crossed the borders), gusto pong sabihin nun, lumalala na yung sitwasyon (that means the situation is getting worse), they should exercise their sound judgment," Arriola added.
Aside from the jobs, some women cannot leave their husbands behind, she said.
The foreign affairs official also admitted that one of their biggest challenges they are facing now is getting Filipino seafarers, who have been stranded in the Black Sea, out of danger.
"Kami, medyo, problemado tayo dito sa (We are facing problems with evacuating) sea-based (workers). POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) is closely monitoring how many Filipinos are stranded sa kanilang (in their) vessels," Arriola said.
She added that they cannot leave their vessels due to the "heavy fighting" and they can only hunker down and take cover amid the intense firing.
She assured that Philippine government agencies continue to work together in coordination with Philippine embassies and consulates in the embattled country and its nearby territories to get more Filipinos out of danger.
On Wednesday night, 27 Filipino seafarers, who flew from Bucharest in Romania, arrived in the country. They are the crew members of MV Star Helena and MV Global Aglaia.
9 March 2022- DFA welcomes the arrival today of 27 seafarers who flew from Bucharest, Romania. 7 of the seafarers are from MV Star Helena while 20 are crew members of MV Global Aglaia. @ralytejada @DFAPHL pic.twitter.com/UwozdGbvTF
— Sarah Lou Ysmael Arriola (@slyarriola) March 9, 2022