27 Pinoys choose to be relocated to Tokyo

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-seven Filipinos have chosen to be relocated to Tokyo in the light of a nuclear emergency spawned by severe damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant more than 200 kilometers away, following a powerful earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last March 11.

The Philippine embassy in Tokyo reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that consular mission representatives traveled early Sunday morning to fetch the Filipinos and two Japanese in Sendai City and Fukushima Nishi Interchange and arrived in Tokyo late Sunday evening.

The team brought relief goods for the Filipino community at the Sendai Catholic Church. The group traveled by bus to Tokyo.

The Filipinos were brought to Wesley Center, a relocation center in Minami Aoyama.

The embassy’s five consular missions so far have relocated 139 Filipino nationals.

The Filipinos are temporarily housed at a Catholic Church in Kichijogi, the Lighthouse Ministry in Yokohama City, the Franciscan Church in Roppongi in Tokyo and at the Wesley Center.

The DFA earlier said Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez would send more buses if necessary to transport Filipinos.

The hotline numbers at the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs’ Crisis Management Center are 834-4646 and 834-4580. Requests for information may also be sent through e-mail address [email protected].

Filipinos may also contact the following embassy numbers in cases of emergency: (03)5562-1573, (03)5562-1574, (03)5562-1570, (03)5562-1590.

Downsized

Meanwhile, the Philippines has downsized the search and rescue team that it would send to Japan to concentrate more on delivering relief goods to affected areas.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos said the 46-man contingent has been reduced to 18 since many countries have sent enough rescue teams.

“What they (Japan) need now are relief goods. We are reducing the number of rescue team members so we can bring relief goods,” Ramos said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo. – With Alexis Romero