MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News Service) — The Philippine government is preparing for the imminent repatriation of some 1,800 Filipinos from three countries in West Africa struck by the deadly Ebola virus, as the Department of Foreign Affairs mulls the raising of the crisis alert level in the Ebola-affected countries by mid-November.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told reporters that the government is establishing a protocol to repatriate at least 1,755 Filipino workers from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, as well as 145 Filipino peacekeepers in Liberia.
“The government is undertaking all necessary measures to protect the health and well-being of our nationals or citizens in keeping with the established protocols on managing the Ebola virus disease. This includes preparations for raising to level 3 the crisis alert level for the Ebola-affected countries in West Africa, effective mid-November 2014,” he said.
Secretary Coloma estimated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Sierra Leone at 1,044; in Guinea at 511; and in Liberia at 200, a total of 1,755.
There are also 145 Filipino peacekeepers in Liberia — 115 from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 29 from the Philippine National Police, and 1 from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, he said.
Based on the records of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, most of the OFWs in the three countries are in the construction, mining and technical industries.
“Most of the Filipinos are in the construction, mining and technical industries in those countries. Ang focus ng ating pamahalaan ay ang kalusugan at kaligtasan ng ating mamamayan na nandoon mismo sa sentro ng epidemic. Kaya nga ang inatas sa mga concerned agencies ng pamahalaan ay paghandaan ang maayos, sistematiko at siyentipikong paglilikas sa ating mga mamamayan para mailayo sila sa panganib ng Ebola virus disease. (The focus of our government is the health and safety of our citizens who are in the center of the epidemic. That is why we tasked the concerned agencies of the government to prepare the systematic and scientific evacuation of our citizens so that they would be taken out of danger from [getting] the Ebola virus disease),” Coloma said.
He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will eventually raise the crisis alert in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia to Level 3, which entails voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in the three countries.
“Ang punto ng lahat ng aking ginagawang paglalahad ngayon at pagpapaliwanag ay iisa lamang: na napakahalaga sa ating pamahalaan na magkaroon tayo ng matatag na depensa laban sa Ebola virus disease. (The point of all of my relaying the information now and explaining is this: that it is very important to our government for us to institute a strong defense against the Ebola virus disease),” Coloma said.
Under the voluntary repatriation program, the government will shoulder the expenses of the Filipino workers who would want to leave the Ebola-affected countries.
Part of the preparation is the improvement of the government facility on research, particularly the Research Institute for Tropical Medicines in Muntinlupa City, including the quarantine facilities which could be used for the purpose.
The Department of Health (DOH) had earlier said that it is only a matter of time before Ebola would reach the country.
Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag, who also heads the National Epidemiology Center said the current outbreak countermeasures are not enough to prevent the entry of Ebola.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current Ebola outbreak had already claimed the lives of at least 4,033 persons out of the 8,399 registered cases of the Ebola virus in seven countries as of October 8, 2014. (Eagle News Service)