PH gov't mulls downgrade of alert level for OFWs in Myanmar
The Philippine government is considering downgrading the Alert Level status for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Myanmar amid political unrest in the Asian nation.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said Thursday, June 22, that the government is seeking the downgrade of the current Alert Level 4 status to allow Filipino workers in Myanmar to fly to the Philippines and return there. “Pero hindi (but not) new deployment,” de Vega added in a Laging Handa briefing. The alert level has been up since May 2021. De Vega said the lower alert status will only cover Filipinos with legal papers to work there. They are all safe in the capital city, Yangon, where it is relatively peaceful than in other areas. Meanwhile, Filipinos without legal documents to work in Myanmar, especially those who are victims of human trafficking currently stuck at the Thailand border, will remain prohibited from going back to Myanmar. De Vega said the government’s decision on lowering the alert level status will come out once he returns from Myanmar for a meeting at the end of the month.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said Thursday, June 22, that the government is seeking the downgrade of the current Alert Level 4 status to allow Filipino workers in Myanmar to fly to the Philippines and return there. “Pero hindi (but not) new deployment,” de Vega added in a Laging Handa briefing. The alert level has been up since May 2021. De Vega said the lower alert status will only cover Filipinos with legal papers to work there. They are all safe in the capital city, Yangon, where it is relatively peaceful than in other areas. Meanwhile, Filipinos without legal documents to work in Myanmar, especially those who are victims of human trafficking currently stuck at the Thailand border, will remain prohibited from going back to Myanmar. De Vega said the government’s decision on lowering the alert level status will come out once he returns from Myanmar for a meeting at the end of the month.