OFWs in Palau oppose planned closure of Phl embassy

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Filipinos working in the Republic of Palau have expressed concern over the impending closure of the Philippine embassy in the area.

Palau, with a population of at least 20,000 of which one-fourth is comprised of Filipinos, is an island-nation in the Pacific.

It is around 800 kilometers from the Philippines or just an hour’s direct flight from Davao City. It is said to be closest to the southeastern tip of Mindanao in Davao Oriental.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier announced the closure of the embassy in Palau by the end of July, reportedly due to budgetary constraints.

However, a group calling itself The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP) expressed strong opposition to the impending closure as it would disadvantage the more than 5,000 Filipinos working in that country.

The Philippine embassy in Palau, manned by 10 staff members, caters not only to the needs of the Filipinos working in Palau but also addresses the concerns of Filipinos caught illegally fishing in its territorial waters.

Hundreds of Filipino fishermen have been caught encroaching into Palauan waters for the past years.

The TFCP lamented that should the embassy close, it would mean that they would not have anyone to help them, especially with matters regarding illegal recruitment, human trafficking, as well as other cases involving employer-employee contracts.

The TFCP is appealing to the government to reconsider its position regarding the embassy in Palau.