Isko to assist returning OFWs from Ukraine
MANILA Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Friday said he is open to providing assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be forced to return to the country due to the worsening military conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
“Why not? Lalo naman kung taga-Maynila sila. Eh meron namang kakayanan ng kaunti ang Maynila at kung hindi man sila taga-Maynila, baka makatulong kami on a personal level. Ang importante lang naman diyan eh yung mabuhay sila. Yung buhay, buo, kasama nila ulit yung pamilya nila. Sama-sama silang magsikap ulit tapos may gobyerno silang masasandalan. Yun sa tingin ko maitatawid na natin ang taumbayan,” Moreno told reporters during a campaign sortie in General Trias City in Cavite province.
The latest count from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) revealed there are 300 Filipinos in Ukraine most of whom are working as domestic helpers in the capital city of Kyiv.
The DFA disclosed that a number of Filipino workers in Ukraine have opted to stay so that they can continue to work and provide for the needs of their loved ones back home.
The Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer maintained Manila is willing to assist OFWs who will be displaced due to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. “Pwede nila kaming lapitan at maaasahan nila kami na baka makatulong kami sa kanila,” he said.
If elected president, the 47-year-old Moreno said the first thing he will do when there are conflicts among countries and as a matter of foreign policy under his watch is to save the lives of as many Filipinos as possible.
“Unang-unang policy is iligtas ko yung mga Pilipino doon. Mamamayan muna before anything else. Masigurado ko na yung mahal nila sa buhay dito sa Pilipinas, na yung kanilang mga kaanak sa Ukraine ay makuha ng ligtas, buo, malusog sa lalong madaling panahon. Yun ang gagawin ko, to save as many Filipinos as possible and that is my job as president. Yun ang unang-una, first of everything. Buhay muna ng mga Filipino na OFW sa abroad ang mahalaga sa akin,” Moreno pointed out.
Moreno continued: “I hope wala pang nasasawing mga kababayan natin, and that is the job of the president. One of the key responsibilities is to protect every Filipinos in the country and in the world and I think sana by this time, naniniwala naman na baka may ginagawa na sila at ayoko silang husgahan. But you’re asking me, if I get elected, that’s the first thing in the morning, pagmulat ng mata ko, kung ako’y presidente, yun ang unang gagawin at iisipin ko. Paano sila maligtas at madala muli sa ating bansa o sa ligtas na lugar upang makapiling nilang muli yung kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.”
