ATTENTION, OFW ORGANIZATIONS

Thank God none of our countrymen has been hurt so far in the raging chaos in Egypt. Let’s all continue praying for their safety.

But the risks being faced by our kababayans in Egypt should be a wake-up call for all of us on the safety of our countrymen working in various nations worldwide.

It’s time to ask the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) HOW READY are we to evacuate our overseas Filipino workers (OFW) from anywhere in the world and at any given time if necessary

We have more than a million OFWs.

How much is the budget for evacuations or other similar emergencies? For how many people is this good for? Is it ready for immediate release?

Evacuation is not just simply fetching the evacuees from the troubled country they’re stuck in. Apart from travel, there will also be expenses for transporting the evacuees to the pick-up point, food, lodging, medical care if needed and other similar needs.

What is the breakdown of the budget for these items?

Are there standing arrangements with transport and airline companies for evacuations at a moment’s notice? Are there pre-determined escape routes in every country with OFWs, or will it only be determined before the evacuation itself?

Do we have evacuations in place for each country with OFWs?

We need to know these details, guys, because in evacuations, every second is important. Especially in armed conflicts like the one in Egypt, a second’s delay can spell the difference between life and death for the evacuees.

For OFW organizations, these are the facts you must ask from the DFA, and  not just simply the evacuation of our countrymen from troubled spots in the world.

OFWs are regarded as modern-day heroes. Ensuring their safe and immediate return is the least we can d for them.

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Two of our blogmates on “UNTOUCHABLE JUETENG”:

CRISTY RIVERO of Quezon City:

Good observation, Mr. Antonio. Keep it up. Thumbs up.

           

ATTY.  JOHL MILLADO of Tarlac:

There is no need for another round, or rounds, of investigation into  jueteng. The people and the government are very much aware of its existence, its operators and its protectors. Huminto ang Kongreso, pati ang media, at si mamang pulis huminto din kaya si lokal na opisyal nalibre ulit upang tuloy ang jueteng. Sigurado, sila-sila ay may sabwatan. Sa opinyon ko, sa lahat ng bagay, basta bawal, may pera.

I am not saying that gambling, especially jueteng, should be legalized but the law against all forms of gambling should be implemented. I propose that a law be passed that the mere existence particularly of jueteng, or its mere proposal, in a certain locality is a crime in itself making the government official and police officer concerned, like but not limited to the barangay chairman, mayor and chief of police, as co-conspirators even without identifying the operator, the collector and bettor.

The title of the crime: "Conspiracy and Proposal to Commit Jueteng"