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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Gatchalian urges DFA, DMW to expedite repatriation of Filipinos in Sudan  ​

Gatchalian urges DFA, DMW to expedite repatriation of Filipinos in Sudan  ​

Published Apr 25, 2023 03:54 am
    Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday, April 25 called on the Departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Migrant Workers (DMW) to exert all efforts in repatriating all Filipinos trapped in Sudan amid the heightened hostilities in the African nation.   At the same time, the senator urged distressed Filipinos in Sudan to get in touch with the Philippine embassy in Cairo, Egypt for their immediate repatriation.    Gatchalian also urged Filipinos based in the Philippines who have immediate relatives and loved ones in Sudan to convince their respective family members in the war-torn country to seek assistance from the embassy.    Earlier, the DFA said that there are around 400 Filipinos recorded in Sudan.   “The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers should exert all efforts in locating Filipinos in Sudan and ensure their safety and wellbeing as they await the Philippine government in bringing them home,” Gatchalian said in a statement.   The lawmaker made the call after the DFA issued an advisory saying the agency will begin repatriation efforts and is asking Filipinos in Sudan to establish contact with the Philippine Embassy in Cairo so that they can be included in the list.   Reportedly, more than 500 Filipinos in Sudan have sent messages to DFA officials seeking government’s help for their repatriation.    Though all airports in Sudan have shut down, the senator said one option Filipinos can do is through land travel from Khartoum to Cairo, where they can fly from Cairo to Manila.    Based on his estimates, Gatchalian said repatriating 400 Filipinos would cost the government P34-million to P46-million.    He also noted that a land travel to Cairo also entails an additional budgetary cost of about P23-million for a 2-day subsistence allowance for the repatriates.    The senator said the DFA has a P1.259-billion budget allocation under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) intended for the “protection and promotion of welfare of overseas Filipinos.”    At the same time, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), also has a repatriation budget which is sourced from employers’ contributions, the lawmaker pointed out.   As of end-2021, Gatchalian said the value of the OWWA fund was at P1.40-billion.    

Related Tags

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian Department of Foreign Affairs Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Sudan
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