Malacanang urges Filipinos in Iraq to return to
the country
Malacanang urged on Sunday Filipino overseas
workers in Iraq to voluntary repatriate themselves as the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) raised the crisis alert to Alert Level 3.
“Hinihimok ang mga Pilipinong nakahimpil sa
maligalig o mapanganib na lugar na bumalik sa Pilipinas at ang kanilang
pagbiyahe ay sasagutin ng pamahalaan,” said Presidential Communication
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., during an aired press
briefing over radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
Jihadist militants in Iraq recently seized a
large portion of northern Iraq.
There are an estimated 500 Filipinos working in
Iraq, mostly in the American military bases in Baghdad, the capital.
“Magpapadala din ang DFA ng rapid response team
upang tumulong sa voluntary repatriation ng mga Pilipino sa Iraq,” Coloma
added.
Coloma said that only Kurdistan, Iraq remains in
the DFA Alert Level 1 or under precautionary phase.
“Ang Kurdistan ay nananatili pa ring tahimik at
maayos,” Coloma explained.
The Communication Secretary also reiterated the
government’s call for Filipinos working in Libya to undergo voluntary
repatriation. Early this month, the DFA put Libya in Alert Level 3 due to the
unrest brought by an ongoing civil war.
“Gayunpaman, mayroong pakikipag-ugnayan ang DFA
sa DOLE, POEA at OWWA sa pagpapatupad ng travel exemption sa mga Pilipinong may
umiiral na kontrata sa paghahanap-buhay sa Libya tulad ng mga naglilingkod sa
mga embahadang banyaga; ang mga naninilbihan sa United Nations at iba pang
pandaigdigang organisasyon sa Libya; mga manggagawa sa mga offshore oil rig
platforms – basta hindi sila maglalakbay sa mainland Libya o magbabaksyon doon;
mga empleyado ng multi-national companies, ospital ng gobyerno, paaralan, at
Libyan National Oil Co. at mga Pilipinong kasal sa mga mamamayan ng Libya,”
said Coloma. PND (ag)
Scholars funded by PDAF will continue studies,
says Palace
Scholars formerly funded by PDAF will continue
studies, says Palace.
Scholars formerly funded by the Priority
Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) from lawmakers will still study, Palace
official ensured on Sunday.
Presidential Communication Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., said the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
will make sure that their scholarship will not be disrupted.
“Tungkulin (ito) ng Commission on Higher
Education. Bahagi sa kanilang taunang programa na pinopondohan ng ating
pambansang pamahalaan ay iyong paggawad ng mga scholarships at tulong
pinansiyal sa mga mag-aaral, lalung-lalo na sa mga kolehiyo at pamantasan,”
said Coloma in a press briefing aired over radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on
Sunday.
“Ayaw po nating mapariwara iyong kalagayan ng
mga estudyante na nag-aaral. Nais nating maging tuluy-tuloy iyong kanilang
pag-aaral at matulungan sila sa pagtapos ng kanilang mga kinukuhang kurso,”
Coloma added.
An estimated 100,000 scholars will be affected
as Congress no longer include PDAF in the 2014 national budget.
Formerly, each House of Representative members
and Senators receive PDAF in their respective annual budget for their “hard and
soft projects.” Included in the “soft” projects are the scholarship programs
and medical assistance.
Last year the Supreme Court declared the PDAF
unconstitutional.
“Hindi po natin papabayaan na mapariwara ang
kanilang sitwasyon at basta na lang hindi sila makatapos. So hinahanapan po ng
kongkretong solusyon ang bagay na iyan,” Coloma asserted. PND (ag)
