MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers has ordered the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration officers in Japan and Taiwan to stand ready to assist OFWs in need.
The order comes after thousands are in shelters in Japan after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a rare “special warning” for Kagoshima and Miyazaki in its Kyushu region as Typhoon Nanmadol hit the southwestern part of the country.
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Four million residents there have since evacuated their homes.
Meanwhile, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Taiwan over the weekend. The DMW said no Filipino has been reported harmed in both countries so far.
POLO Osaka had already accounted for 13,904 OFWs under its jurisdiction, all unharmed and safe. This includes workers in Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima.
Employers and agencies of Filipino migrant workers in the Kyushu area have also been in contact with the post in Osaka and are monitoring the status of OFWs.
The POLO in Tokyo, which has jurisdiction over 22,000 OFWs, said it has not received any requests for help so far, but has already called on OFWs, employers, and recruitment agencies to report any incident involving OFWs.
Japan-based OFWs who need assistance may reach out via:
POLO-Tokyo
Welfare Hotline (Nico Herrera): +81 70 3630 0167
POLO-Osaka
Labor Attache Elizabeth Estrada: +81 70 2275 6083
WelOf Pilipina Dino: +81 70 2447 4014
Welfare Hotline (Dahnia Domado): + 81 70 2447 4016
Verification Hotline (Marina Mori Alvez): + 81 70 2275 6082
Meanwhile, OFWs in Taiwan may reach out to:
POLO-Taipei
Contact: +886 932 218 057
Facebook Messenger: POLO Taipei
POLO-Taichung
Contact: +886 966 537 732
Facebook Messenger: Meco Polo Taichung
POLO-Kaohsiung
Contact: +886 988 976 596
Facebook Messenger: Meco Polo Owwa Kaohsiung