Press Release
April 27, 2009

Pia: Protect OFWs from new swine flu virus

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to work together to ensure the safety of millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) currently deployed in Mexico and other countries where the new and deadly strain of swine flu had been detected.

While lauding the Philippine government's prompt action to prevent the entry of the new virus by banning pork imports from the US and Mexico and setting up flu-detection facilities in our airports, Cayetano said equal attention must be given to efforts to secure our millions of OFWs in Mexico and its neighboring countries.

"Whenever health emergencies break out or pandemics threaten public safety, our OFWs are inevitably placed in a precarious position. Being in a foreign land, oftentimes they have nowhere else to turn to, except their Philippine embassy or consulate and fellow Filipinos."

"The DFA and DOLE should immediately map out a comprehensive program to secure our OFWs, provide them with vital information without causing them to panic, and facilitate vaccination services to shield them from the new swine virus."

She said the DFA and DOLE, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), should also consider putting up a special website for disseminating information to OFWs about the new flu virus and updates on the Philippine government's response to the emergency, including the services it could offer to OFWs.

In turn, she said OFWs could send updates to their respective embassy officials through the website via electronic mail and SMS or text messaging.

"We know that the internet and text messaging are the fastest and most convenient means to reach out to our OFWs. The government should take advantage of these technologies in response to this serious emergency."

Citing latest official statistics, Cayetano said 28,019 OFWs were deployed to the Americas in 2007 alone. Canada and the United States were the top destinations, but sizable deployments were also recorded in Mexico and Latin American nations. OFWs deployed in the entire region, she added, sent in US$9.2 million worth of remittances during the same year.

"OFW remittances keep the Philippine economy afloat especially in times of severe crisis. It's only proper that the government give them something back when they are placed in extreme insecurity. They have to feel that they have a government that is genuinely looking after their safety and well-being."

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