Malacanang said it is prepared to evacuate the
6,500 Filipinos working and studying in Egypt should the rioting in that country escalate.
This was disclosed on Saturday morning by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte in an interview on Radyo ng Bayan as she announced that President Benigno S. Aquino III has tasked the Departments of Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Labor and Employment and the Presidential Management Staff to meet that day to agree and make recommendations on what measures to take should the peace and order situation in Egypt worsen.
For the peace of mind of Filipinos with relatives or friends in that country, the government has set up three evacuation centers in Cairo and one in Alexandria to prepare for any eventuality, Valte said.
“The President has been constantly monitoring the situation in Egypt since last night until early this morning. In fact, he has already given instructions to the agencies concerned for them to come up with recommendations on augmenting current efforts,†Valte said.
The DFA also said it is ready to repatriate all the 6,500 Filipinos in Egypt right now. “Nobody will be left out -—documented or not,†Valte said.
DFA Assistant Secretary Ed Malaya said of the 6,500 Filipinos based in Egypt, half are overseas contract workers (OCWs) and domestic helpers, around 1,000 are students while the balance are there in unspecified capacities and presumed to be working there.
Worth noting is that there are still no Filipino casualties from the unsettling conditions in Egypt, continued Valte, adding that the embassy has advised all Filipinos to stay in their homes for their safety. (PNA)
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