Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is now on “high alert” for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who might be caught up in the tensions in Taiwan and Russia.
DMW Secretary Maria Susana “Toots” Ople made this assurance during the Senate subcommittee on finance’s hearing on the budget of the agency on Wednesday, October 5.
“We’re on high alert po sa anong nangyayari sa Russia, because of well, all the noise about nuclear weapons, nuclearization. We have seafarers and we also have OFWs in the European Union (EU),” Ople said in response to a query made by Sen. Joel Villanueva.
“It may not be just the war, but the uncertainty of it. I think may repercussions din sa ating mga (too to our) workers,” she said.
“Which is why the DMW plans to have a war room of its own so we can map the borders to be affected,” Ople added.
The DMW chief also added that the DMW is discussing this matter with National Security Adviser Dr. Clarita Carlos, “on how we can work together to have a panoramic view of geo-political events—and even climate change issues—that will have an impact on our migrant workers.”
Ople also assured that the DMW is prepared to respond to the rising tensions in Taiwan where there are more than 145,000 documented workers, mostly working in semi-conductor industries.
“Ang maganda po sa (What is good in) Taiwan is that all factories have a shelther with provision for food of the workers there and I think even the homes are well-equipped,” she said.
“They have contingency plans because historic na po yung tensions sa Taiwan,” Ople added.
Ople stressed the DMW’s priority is to ensure that OFWs would be first secured by their employers, “and then we look for ways to get them out.
“But you know the nature of warfare now is far differente really you don’t know the shape and form of it,” she said.
“So we really need to look at various forms of assistance but definitely ...the responsibility also falls on the shoulder of the whole government,” the DMW secretary stressed.