Shaping up

After being caught off-guard for five days, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sparked by the surprise visit of Acting Secretary Albert del Rosario to Tunisia and Libya, have finally shaped up and successfully evacuated and repatriated 13,000 OFWs from Libya as of yesterday. About 4,222 have arrived in Manila.

The DFA Labor Attaches and OWWA Welfare Officers in the field deserve commendation. And so do Sec. Albert del Rosario, Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz, OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon and Asec Ed Malaya. It was really a difficult situation.

Valuable lessons have been learned. There must now be formulated updated contingency plans for every country where thousands of OFWs are deployed. Adequate personnel and resources must be deployed depending on the size of the OFW population in a given country. As an easy example, one OWWA welfare officer cannot efficiently take care of 30,000 OFWs in his country of assignment, much less 100,000 or more. There is also need to improve the protocols on the coordination between DFA, DOLE and Malacañang.

One practical problem – Does an Ambassador with only a few officers at his embassy have the capability to gather accurate intelligence information to anticipate a prospective revolution? One logical suggestion – competent Defense Attaches must now be assigned to every embassy in the Middle East.

As BBC and CNN analysts have agreed — Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are just the beginning of reform movements in the area. About 12 neighboring countries can erupt at any time. Bahrain with 51,000 OFWs is heating up. Yemen is reaching a critical stage.

More preparations are in order if we are not to be caught flat footed again. There are about 90 Philippine embassies and Consulate Generals worldwide. Eight to 10 of them could be closed and their personnel and budgets redeployed to the Middle East. DBM Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad must now conduct a review of the budgets of DFA and DOLE, especially POEA and OWWA. OWWA has only 77 welfare officers. They need at least 30 more. For 2012, the contingent funds of the President must be increased by at least P1 billion to take care of these emergency situations. The OFWs send home $21 billion to support our economy. DBM must accord a higher priority to their needs.

*      *      *

UNFLATTERING. . . BBC, the British Broadcasting Company, showed a one hour documentary on the Philippines on its Explore program. It featured 10,000 Filipinos living at the North Cemetery, Imelda Marcos’s luxuries, miserable living conditions of Badjaos in Palawan, the NPA and MILF insurgencies, 17 inch earthworms destroying the Ifugao rice terraces and politics led by “controversial characters”. Except for a segment on the Black Nazarene procession, it was very unflattering. Malacañang Communications Group, DOT and DFA take note. The BBC documentary will turn off tourists.

*      *      *

STEP BACK. . . There is unanimity of opinion in the choice of Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban (PAF) as Chief of Staff of the AFP. But there’s a small fly in the ointment. Oban has only nine months to reform the AFP as he is due to retire on Dec. 13 this year.

Before Oban’s appointment, President Aquino had announced he was not following President Arroyo’s revolving door policy, and will choose one who can serve a longer term. It gave the impression that he would choose one who can serve as COS for at least two years.

Anyway, let’s hope for the best and wish General Oban good luck in his reform efforts. Gen. Oban can start by looking at the anomalous expenditures involving the acquisition and repairs of C-130 planes.

*      *      *

PEPING ON ANC. . . In an interview with Karen Davila on ANC’s Headstart program yesterday, Presidential uncle Peping Cojuangco said the following: 1) He has asked P-Noy for an appointment to discuss the sports program but up to now he has not been given one; 2) That P-Noy does not ask him for advice; 3) On P-Noy’s performance so far “it can be improved”; 4) That his group Philippine Patriots that campaigned nationwide is unhappy because they have not been treated fairly; 5) That Mar Roxas lost because he did not conduct a good campaign; 6) That people around P-Noy are not giving him good advice; 7) That the ARMM elections should not be postponed. Interesting, isn’t it?

*      *      *

BLOODY WEEKEND. . . Ex Barangay Chairman Noel Ayalin killed SK Chairman Imee Occeña and three Barangay Kagawads of Barangay Kapitan Ramon in Silay City, Negros Occidental and wounded Barangay Capt. Ramon Celebre and two other Kagawads.

Two drivers were killed then burned with their buses of the Silverstone Bus Company in Almeria, Biliran. Three cops and a civilian were killed in an ambush by suspected NPA rebels in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Businessman Rolando Balido, 34, died in a grenade explosion in East Rembo, Makati while his live-in partner Lady Reene Rodrigo had her leg amputated.

Once again, the above crimes show a continuing breakdown in peace and order.

*      *      *

TIDBITS . . . Albay Gov. Joey Salceda has a good point when he criticized PAL and Cebu Pacific for not offering to ferry OFWs from Libya or at least from Dubai. Both airlines spend millions for public relations and advertising. They certainly missed the boat here.

Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano announced that the city government would pay for all graduation expenses including all awards and medals, toga, graduation picture and year book. Graduates do not have to pay a single peso for graduation. Good job, Mayor Lani.

Sen. Francis Escudero wants OIC Ronaldo Ledesma of the Bureau of Immigration to be replaced for mishandling the deportation of 14 Taiwanese nationals to China.

Congratulations to Sister Mary John Mananzan and Iloilo Rep. Jeanette Garin for being chosen as awardees of Woman Deliver, a New York based organization honoring 100 outstanding women.

Sen. Lito Lapid is the 3rd Lakas senator.