Pinoys working at US facilities in Afghanistan may stay – Palace

MANILA, Philippines – After a visit to aircraft carrier USS John Stennis, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa said yesterday Filipinos working in US facilities in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan may stay and continue their work there until the year ends.

Ochoa, however, clarified that the ban on the deployment of OFWs in these countries stays, with the exception of Filipinos currently “employed in military bases and facilities of the US,” who “are excluded and will be allowed to continue working in these countries.”

“After making an assessment of the conditions in Afghanistan and Iraq based on input from the Department of Foreign Affairs, we have recommended that Filipino workers who are already employed in US military bases and installations in these countries be allowed to remain there to continue their employment,” he said.

Ochoa, who heads the Overseas Preparedness Response Team, however, said for security reasons, “no new workers will be allowed to travel to these countries for work.”

According to Ochoa, President Aquino approved the recommendations last weekend.

Concerns were raised when the US military ordered all contractors last year not to hire third country nationals, whose governments prohibit their citizens from traveling and working in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Washington had warned that contractors caught violating the order would no longer be allowed to bid in US projects in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The DFA estimates the combined number of Filipinos working in Iraq and Afghanistan at 7,000.

Ochoa reiterated that the government would continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground to ensure the safety of Filipino workers who choose to remain in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Ensuring the safety and security of our OFWs who work in Afghanistan and Iraq is our primary concern. Just as their livelihoods are important to them, their lives are important to us,” he said.

“We will take the necessary precautions so that nothing untoward happens to Filipinos who work in these countries,” he said.

Ochoa earlier said that Rapid Response Teams, trained and prepared to address developments in crisis-affected countries with significant OFW populations, were closely monitoring developments in Libya and Syria. –Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)