Should all OFW's in Lebanon be evacuated?

[tackielarla]

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actually, this surprised me rin. they said that the whole operation costs around 3 million dollars, wherein we could have chartered a ship for 100,000 a day na dagko and mas paspas. ang ato mga 2 barotos sailing to Beirut actually will reach the area in 45 days, not 15. mga small tidorts ra baya na ato mga baroto... hahay... i dont know what GMA is trying to accomplish here...

[baron]

The ships are just an added reinforcement.

In fact, the Senators who were very much adamant conducting investigations on misplaced OWWA funds have heed the call to suspend the probe later, maybe because they knew very well that OWWA has funds to start with. With the call of the people to evacuate first our OFWs there before they conduct investigations here, Jinggoy might have realized (thank, God!) that his actions would never be an heroic act for many. After all, those unnecessary investigations won't help our kababayans in the middle of the war.

[tackielarla]

Mahitabo ana bai those 2 tugboats will be added "liability"... I mean, why not just charter 2 large sea freighters (which by the way Greece has already offered) at $100,000/day which can bring at least 3000 passengers sa usa ka byahe instead of the $3,000,000 budget for those tugboats to reach Lebanon. Those ships can reach Lebanon way faster than our barotos can...

I already smell something fishy na in this endeavor...

[grabehbebe]

Lebanon OFWs see new hope

TACLOBAN CITY - "President Arroyo’s reintegration plan for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Lebanon "is a ray of light in a long, dark tunnel."

Thus said teary-eyed Marilyn Magsino Modesto, an OFW from Barangay Sta. Elena, Tanauan, Leyte, who, like her colleagues in the first batch of Filipino migrant workers repatriated by the national government from war-torn Lebanon, is faced with an uncertain future with the loss of the family’s main source of income.
"My prayers have been answered," she said of President Arroyo’s plan for them.

Modesto is just one of the many Filipinos who came home empty handed from the conflict Middle East country. Her problem was compounded by the fact that she is poorer now than when she left her home a year ago as she had left all her belongings and savings in Lebanon.

Presidential assistant for Eastern Visayas Victor "Vic" Domingo said the President is not only bent on bringing back the Filipino workers safely, but has programs already on how to provide them with the means of livelihood that they have suddenly lost due to the hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.
"The President’s reintegration plan of livelihood and support programs for the OFWs eased the anxiety of many repatriated OFWs like me — who now have nowhere to go for their livelihood," Modesto said.
Under the President’s plan, various government agencies have been tasked to implement a reintegration program that will provide arrival and adjustment services and employment services for OFWs returning from Lebanon.

The agencies involved in the plan are the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Presidential Management Staff (PMS), and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

"This move," Domingo said, "is a manifestation of the President’s concern for the overseas workers or any Filipino for that matter, who is in a difficult circumstance. This runs contrary to the claim of her detractors that the government is remiss in giving attention to the OFWs from Lebanon." (Jack Gadaingan

http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2006080971321.html

[herzabarJR]

wehehehe.. mao nay giingon og..
"you wish!!"

actually, this surprised me rin. they said that the whole operation costs around 3 million dollars, wherein we could have chartered a ship for 100,000 a day na dagko and mas paspas. ang ato mga 2 barotos sailing to Beirut actually will reach the area in 45 days, not 15. mga small tidorts ra baya na ato mga baroto... hahay... i dont know what GMA is trying to accomplish here...

Mao gyud , hehehe

actually, this surprised me rin. they said that the whole operation costs around 3 million dollars, wherein we could have chartered a ship for 100,000 a day na dagko and mas paspas. ang ato mga 2 barotos sailing to Beirut actually will reach the area in 45 days, not 15. mga small tidorts ra baya na ato mga baroto... hahay... i dont know what GMA is trying to accomplish here...

Exactly, I think its 45 days. As I heard, Evergreen container ships which run at 25-30 knots reach the US in about a month. Our ships
reach Manila in 1 day. I dont think that the distance of Lebanon is just the distance of Manila x15. The problem with Coast Guard's PCF boat is that it is too small, has a small fuel tank and thus designed for short distances. Where will they place the needed fuel to cover the distance of Lebanon? Mag guruy cla uge barge? samot na kahinay. Ayaw kug ingna na mag cge sila patubil everytime ma ka reach sila ug certain country?? Abot sila Malaysia patubil, abot cla Thailand patubil, abot cla India patubil. Pag abot sa Indian Ocean, na-igo ug dakong bawd, natuwad... Na missing na hinuon....

[herzabarJR]

What did we do? After seven days, we sent special envoy Roy Cimatu and Undersecretary Rafael Seguis to organize the evacuation by land.

This thing is troubling... Why is it that everytime there is a flashpoint and our OFWs need to be evacuated, we send Roy Cimatu? I know he is an "expert" on this but I dont know how much to an extent he is an expert. I dont think he is Superman and I dont think that he is a Condeleeza Rice that he can command such respect and attention in foreign countries...

This led me to thinking, what is the purpose of the Philippine Embassy there? Isnt the purpose of the embassy is to watch over the welfare of its constituents and in case of emergency, organize evacuation? The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon, like MOST PHILIPPINE EMBASSIES IN THE WORLD, gravely FAILED in both tasks... They have failed in overlooking the welfare of our countrymen, as we all know even BEFORE this war, our countrymen were treated like dogs and inhumanely.. Yet did they do anything?.... Now we already now, how they were lameducks when it comes to evacuation.. Look at other countries, did their embassies wait for some SUPERMAN like Cimatu before they move their buttz and start the evacuation? I bet it was the US Embassy who chartered those ships to evacuate the US citizens and not some superman...

The bad practice of how we chose our Ambassadors has rear its ugly head... Our Ambassadors are usually picked because somebody in power has utang na loob or there is someone from a PROMINENT FAMILY who needs a job, so he conveniently becomes an Ambassador.... Mao na most Ambassadors are clueless... How many of us here even know who our Ambassador to Lebanon is? Because I dont. Did he even show up during game time?

I know our Philippine Embassy did something to help our countrymen there, but it is clearly not enough... Not by a long shot....

[Freeza]

if we could just have a respectable AFP and send some our Navy ships there and land our marines to get our OFWss thats awesome.....AFP modernization where are uuuuuu

[fingolfin]

.. give us reasons why we should not

[baron]

The government is thinking of a more practical way for the evacuation of our Filipinos in Lebanon. I heard VP Noli De Castro is contemplating on Super Ferry and Cebu Pacific's respective offers since they are practically engaged in travelling on nearby destinations.

If such is the case, then we can have a faster and more expeditious way of aiding our evacuees there. After all, what we wanted is to secure the safety of our OFWs there.

[grabehbebe]

Senate vows to act fast on funds for evacuation

THE Senate yesterday vowed to act quickly on the proposed P46.4-billion supplemental budget and a P500-million fund to help evacuate Filipino workers from war-torn Lebanon.

The Chamber’s finance committee made the promise even as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo repeated her appeal to lawmakers to approve the evacuation fund to boost the government’s repatriation campaign.

“We need the fund to provide our team on the ground more elbow room in ensuring safe transport and other forms of assistance to our stranded nationals,” Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya and other Cabinet members briefed the Senate’s finance committee on the proposed supplemental budget.

“As soon as we get it and as soon as the senators have the opportunity to raise some questions on the OWWA [Overseas Workers Welfare Administration] administrator, we will immediately submit it to the Chamber,” finance committee chairman Franklin Drilon said.

At the Department of Foreign Affairs, officials said 1,072 Filipinos were due to arrive in four flights up to Friday as the evacuation in Lebanon continued.

Meanwhile, the labor department praised a Filipina yesterday for looking after her Israeli employer’s mother in northern Israel, which continues to be hit by rockets.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion praised caregiver Avelina Aquino for her loyalty and bravery.

“I note the report of our office that many Jewish families in the northern area have expressed their deep gratitude to our workers,” Brion said. Roy Pelovello, AFP, Michael Caber, Rio N. Araja

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?...s04_aug10_2006