SENATORS have urged the need for the government to prepare for the possible repatriation of Filipino OFWs in Taiwan should the tension between China-Taiwan-US escalate.

According to Senator Raffy Tulfo, the national government and other concerned agencies must immediately come up with a contingency plan for our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

The former TV anchor turned senator, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Overseas Labor & Office (POLO) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should come up with a coordinated plan to ensure the safety of Filipino workers in Taiwan and other neighboring countries.

“The tension between China and Taiwan is not something to be taken lightly. Dapat ngayon pa lamang ay gumagawa na ng contingency plan ang DFA, OWWA, at POLO in the event na lumala ang problemang ito. This is the perfect time for government agencies to show their united force by working together for the safety and security of our workers abroad,” he said.

There are reportedly around 200,000 OFWs in Taiwan which Tulfo said is a big and alarming number that should not be taken for granted.

“In my experience of helping OFWs in the past two decades, the government agencies, oftentimes, were very reactive instead of proactive. Kapag nandiyan na ang gulo at problema, yung tipong na-stuck na ang OFWs sa ibang bansa, wala ng pera at makain, tsaka lamang sila kikilos. Hindi dapat ganoon. Ngayon pa lamang, dapat kumilos na tayo at ‘wag nang antaying lumala pa ang sitwasyon bago tayo umaksyon. We should be ready to evacuate OFWs in the event that the current situation escalates into a war,” Tulfo maintained.

Tulfo said it is imperative that the contingency plan should consider various factors and the most consideration according to him is the safety and funding assistance for these OFWs.

“The situation for OFWs in Taiwan is fraught with too much risk and many Filipino workers are now worried about their future abroad. Una nating kailangang siguraduhin ay ang kaligtasan ng OFWs dahil napakahalaga ng buhay ng bawat isa sa kanila,” he said.

“The national government should provide enough funding assistance to all Filipino workers to ensure that they can smoothly re-enter the country once they are evacuated,” he added.

Sen. Jose Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, said he would call officials of the national security and concerned military officials to conduct a briefing on the situation.

Estrada maintained the Philippines should remain neutral on the issue. He said it is important to remain independent and not to go against China, US, or Taiwan.

He added that Taiwan is located very near our country and many Filipinos are working and living there and that must be the concern, he said, for our officials to take seriously and immediately.

“That is one thing that I am worried about. I am praying that the situation in Taiwan will not worsen because when China and the US fight, the world will be affected, not just the Philippines. We have to be friends with everybody– with China, US, Russia, Taiwan, and other countries,” Estrada said.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III called on all parties to remain calm and not militarize the issue.

“The visit of the US Speaker of the House to Taiwan, of course, provoked China. And China did a live fire military drill near Taiwan, so that is also a provocation. (The situation is) escalating because an official of a country made a visit and another country made a military exercise. Let us urge the US and China to relax. Let us calm down the tension. On the part of the Philippines, we will tell them that we will continue to honor the one-China policy,” he said.

Pimentel added that the situation could be addressed through diplomacy.

“If they need to argue, they could use the UN mechanism because if we go outside of that, it will become dangerous. There are now so many flashpoints in the world. There is the Russia-Ukraine war… Now, there is Taiwan, US versus China, which many fear would lead to World War III if it escalates into a military conflict,” he pointed out.

He also stressed the need for the Philippines to prepare, considering the proximity of Taiwan to the country and the presence of our OFWs in Taiwan. By CAMILLE P. BALAGTAS & PS JUN M. SARMIENTO