Gov’t ready to evacuate 40,000 Pinoys in S. Korea

MANILA, Philippines - More than 40,000 Filipinos in South Korea are ready for evacuation in case tensions in the region erupt into a full-scale war, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said that while the situation in South Korea remains normal, they have set in place contingency plans including designating exit points for Filipino evacuees.

“We give utmost importance to 40,000 Filipinos in South Korea and the embassy is prepared to undertake a contingency plan,” Hernandez said in Filipino.

If evacuation becomes necessary, Filipinos may proceed to Busan or at any convergence area in Seoul or in Daejeon before they are repatriated.

The DFA said on Sunday that Filipinos in South Korea were put on “heightened alert” in the wake of North Korea’s declaration of a “state of war.”

But he stressed “the overall situation remains calm and normal as life proceeds as usual without any disruption throughout South Korea.”

“There is little need for concern as of yet that the tension between the leadership of the two countries would lead to an actual conflict,” Hernandez said.

At Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte expressed hopes that diplomacy would prevail and render evacuation unnecessary.

“We were able to do it in several other countries. Hopefully, we will also be able to do it but we hope that it will not be necessary. And we are one with everybody in hoping that the tensions decrease in that particular area,” Valte said.

“We’ve already made our position known on that in several instances. And I think, at this particular point in time, we are focused on making sure that the preparations that we’ve put in place will seek to secure our nationals who are there,” she said.

Valte said the government had learned much from previous incidents of hostilities in the Korean peninsula and in other strife-torn regions and is always ready with contingency measures.

“We had the opportunity to give the contingency plan a second look so that the preparations now are benefiting from that look,” Valte said.

“I understand from the Department of Foreign Affairs that they’ve already contacted the Filipino community leaders in South Korea and that everybody is on heightened alert – level 1, I think, for heightened awareness – and preparations are already in place,” she said.

Valte said there were no discussions on augmenting funding or manpower of the Philippine post in South Korea. “But, if and when necessary, we will be able to provide what is needed,” Valte said.

“In other contingency plans that we’ve put in place, as you’ve seen, we’ve also employed commercial vessels. I will leave to the DFA the finer details of that. I do know that the plan involves moving, alerting our people at a certain time, re-reminding them of the particular convergence points that have been identified, and then eventually moving to the point where they will be taken out of that particular area,” she said.

The Philippines voiced its support last March 8 for a United Nations Security Council Resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea following the latter’s nuclear test on Feb. 12.

After declaring a “state of war” with its more prosperous neighbor, North Korea threatened to close a border industrial zone, the last remaining example of inter-Korean cooperation that is giving the impoverished North access to $2 billion in trade a year.

In November of 2010, President Aquino condemned an artillery attack by Pyongyang on a South Korean island. The attack destroyed 19 homes. The Philippines commended South Korea for demonstrating restraint in the face of the attack.

No ban on workers

North Korea’s bellicose rhetoric is not enough to justify a ban on deployment of Filipino workers to South Korea – much less a repatriation of those already in the region, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

“There is no deployment ban and as of now we see no serious problem,” Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said.

“There is no need for repatriation, our government only raised alert level 1 to remind our workers that they have to be vigilant of the prevailing situation there,” Baldoz said.

Most Filipinos in South Korea are highly skilled workers.

She said Philippine labor officials in South Korea have informed her that Filipino communities in the country were generally undisturbed by recent developments.

“The situation in the Filipino community remained calm and peaceful although they have been advised to be always prepared and to always have money in case there is need for evacuation,” Baldoz said.

“If ever, our workers will just be evacuated to a safer area in Korea, but at this time, we don’t see that happening,” she said.

She said the Philippine embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in South Korea are closely monitoring developments and giving updates to Filipino communities.

For Sen. Loren Legarda, the government should make sure its contingency plan is workable.

“I hope that the appropriate means to deliver them to safety should the situation arise are available,” Legarda said.

“We cannot wait for the situation to worsen before the details of our contingency plan are firmed up – from activation of emergency area coordinators, conducting resource inventory, designating holding areas, and identification of safe evacuation routes,” she added.

Legarda stressed “uncertainties and dangers exist” even if some have dismissed North Korea’s declaration of state of war as an empty threat.

“All these could lead to regional instability and erode the progress realized by countries in the region, including the Philippines,” she said.

“It is hoped that restraint and greater sense of responsibility to regional and world peace will reign over rising tensions in the region,” she added.

Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez also appealed to Filipinos not to let down their guard even if doubts have been raised on North Korea’s seriousness in waging a war on its neighbor.

Golez, a former national security adviser, said experts consider Pyongyang’s latest saber rattling as its way of strengthening its negotiating position on certain issues, such as its latest nuclear test.

“But I believe that we should always treat them with caution because the new leader is an unknown quantity and unpredictable,” Golez said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Golez said his contacts in the US and other governments in the region have also expressed doubts on North Korea’s capability to effectively launch rockets with nuclear warheads.

A militant urban poor group, meanwhile, asked the government to make more concrete moves to ensure the safety of Filipinos, including drawing from the contingency fund of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration “to start the deployment of a coordinating team to process the list of all Filipinos working in South Korea.”

“DFA’s heightened alert status is not enough to protect Filipinos in South Korea. The government should not waste time and act immediately,” Anakpawis vice chair Fernando Hicap said.

He also urged the President to refrain from issuing any statement that may worsen the situation.

“Mr. Aquino must not join the bandwagon of nations that will surely dip into the tension, particularly the US government to justify its growing military presence in Asia. Let the Korean people settle their internal conflict,” Hicap said.

Senatorial candidate and Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile also urged the government to prepare a clear emergency plan.

“The DFA is on the right track in preparing an evacuation plan for our OFWs in case North Korea’s recent declaration of a state of war takes a turn for the worse,” Enrile said.

He also urged Filipinos in South Korea to take necessary precautions.

“While reports indicate that the situation in South Korea is still normal and actual hostilities are not yet in the horizon, we should already have a contingency plan in place to evacuate Filipinos if the need arises,” he said.

“We have many Filipinos now living and working in South Korea. We cannot just leave them to their own devices if war breaks out,” Enrile said.

“While the United States considers the recent hardline statements from North Korea as no more than ‘bellicose rhetoric,’ we should be ready to assist our nationals anytime,” Enrile said. With Paolo Romero Rhodina Villanueva, Marvin Sy, Mayen Jaymalin