MANILA, Philippines - A recruitment expert asked yesterday the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to prepare evacuation plans for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Syria due to the political unrest there.
In a statement, Emmanuel Geslani, a consultant for several local recruitment agencies, said it seems that the situation in Syria would further deteriorate so the government must ensure enough safety nets for OFWs there.
“DOLE and DFA should now polish up their contingency plans and request for additional funding for the evacuation of more than 5,000 OFWs in Syria,” he said.
Geslani said most workers in Syria are domestic helpers “with as many as 4,000 undocumented who were flown in by illegal recruitment syndicates.”
“(The next) flashpoint (in the Middle East would be) Syria as violent demonstrations have spread in many cities and security forces putting down the protests with gunfire killing many demonstrators with the number now reaching close to two hundred killed and injured,” he said.