Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — President Benigno Aquino III held a meeting with cabinet members on Wednesday (January 6) to discuss preparations and contingency measures for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who may be affected by the escalating tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The tension between the two countries in the Middle East has become a cause of concern for the government, and prompted the president to discuss with heads of government agencies options and plans to assist OFWs.
President Aquino ordered to put “comprehensive contingency measures” in place and to implement “maximum coordination” among all concerned agencies.
Also read: Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran as Mideast protests rage
Asked about what these comprehensive contingency measures are, Communications secretary Sonny Coloma said these measures are still being “updated, fleshed out and finalized by concerned agencies.”
According to Coloma, the president also directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to continue monitoring closely the situation in the Middle East and “emphasized that the government’s top priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of OFWs.”
The DFA is now coordinating with embassies and consulates to ensure the safety OFWs in the affected areas.
There are around one million OFWs in Saudi Arabia alone, while there are a total of about 2.5 million OFWs in the Middle East.
According to Coloma, alternative jobs are in place for those who may lose their jobs. He said the government has already anticipated this because of the decline of oil revenues affecting the job market.
Also read: Oil dips below $37 as OPEC pumps most in three years
Oil prices volatile after Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran
Malacañang also clarified there is no evacuation or repatriation orders as of the moment, but the government is prepared in case the need arises — just like what it did when there were different tensions in Libya and Egypt that required mandatory repatriation of OFWs.
Present at the meeting were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, DFA Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Presidential Management Staff Secretary Julia Abad, DFA Undersecretary Jesus Yabes, and Coloma himself.
