Salceda shows how to help OFWs in Libya

ALBAY Gov. Joey Salceda has shown how a government should deal with a crisis involving OFWs.

In an e-mail he sent to newsmen and friends, Joey has detailed what he has done to retrieve, rescue and save Bicolanos trapped in the current civil war in Libya.

He cancelled an important trip to the United States to deliver a lecture on global warming.

He set up an office, the Assistance Program for Albay OFWs in Libya or APSEMO, to attend to Bicolano OFWs in Libya. The office has headquarters in Legaspi and in Makati staffed by Joey’s people on 24-hour basis and equipped with hotlines (free calls and text messages).

Governor Joey also opened e-mail, Facebook and Twitter accounts for use by Bicolano OFWs in Libya and their families in the Philippines.
I wish other mayors and governors who have constituents in Libya would do the same thing.

The same with President Benigno Aquino 3rd who gave a lengthy press conference last week during which he pitifully enumerated the reasons and the factors why his government couldn’t be of much help in retrieving Filipino workers Libya.

A government with a record P1.6-trillion budget has no reason why it cannot rescue most, if not all, of the 26,000 Filipinos in Libya.

Cannot the President use the 20 percent of salaries allocated for so-called 134,000 personnel complement of the Armed Forces? Col. George Rabusa says the AFP gets the full amount for salaries of all 134,000 people yet only 80 percent is actually disbursed for wages. The 20 percent is converted into cash by corrupt generals to line their pockets.

A soldier makes about P14,000 a month. Multiply that by 134,000 and you have P1.876 billion a month. Multiply P1.87 billion by 13 months and you have P24.38 billion. Now, 20 percent of P24.38 billion is P4.877 billion—enough to charter 160 planes to Libya and get all of those 26,000 OFWs. Our Middle East and Africa OFWs remit about $2.7 billion to the economy each year.

The seeming ineptitude and half-hearted effort in dealing with the Libyan crisis are in sharp contrast with President Aquino’s embarrassing effort to save three Filipino drug mules destined for execution in China.
The lives of drug mules and criminals more valuable than the lives of workers?

Meanwhile, Salceda wrote in his e-mail to friends:

“Beyond the economic contribution of OFW remittances to the welfare of our families and the general economy of Albay, the Libyan crisis assumes far greater moral burden on my official shoulders. The sufferings of these OFWs and their worried families do not only possess names, they have faces staring into my eyes. Thus, I am taking the extra mile to get them out of harm’s way and back to the arms of their loved ones.”
Salceda added:

“It has become apparent that Albay has disproportionately many OFWs in Libya, some of them are friends I grew up with in my hometown of Polangui, even in my very own street of San Juan, Centro Oriental. Amongst them, Salvador Refran, Ellud Refran, Dante Buenaventura, Josue Anthony Consulta, Jojo Pregonero, Walther Caya, Macbeth Peras, Victor Barredo, Sandy Barredo, Jude Real, Joseph Sabio, Lorenzo Tantiado, Ian Camba, Freddie Arroyo, Paul Salarson, Joseph Gilbert Salinel, Rowel Ebitner Joven Sumalinog, Jocel Sumalinog, Leo Samarista et al, et al. All POLANGUENOS.”

In his e-mail, Salceda listed about 260 Albayanos trapped in Libya, working in just one company, ADWOC, an oil rig drilling company.
Here is part of Salceda’s memo:

APSEMO/ALBAY EMBASSY: Assistance Program for Albay OFWs in Libya
A Libyan OFW Assistance Desk is hereby established to be manned by Apsemo in Albay and Albay Embassy in Manila. It shall operate 24 hours and perform the following functions.

1. Albay families with OFWs in Libya: Secure, accept and maintain information from Albay publics on relatives working in Libya, establish contacts with such OFWs, feedback information on their status as well as actions of the government and provide communications link between the OFWs in Libya and their relatives at home.

2. Albayano OFWs in Libya: Secure and maintain continuous contacts and communications with Albayano OFWs in Libya to monitor their status and conditions; provide morale support, feedback information on the status of their families at home, and relay relevant information on actions of the government; maintain their e-mail addresses, Facebook accounts, cellular numbers and landlines (and if possible, their employers).

3. DFA, DOLE, POEA and OWWA: Relay relevant information on the status of Albayano OFWs to DFA, DOLE, OWWA, POEA and follow up actions on the status of affected OFWs. and feedback to Albay OFWs in Libya and to their families at home.

4. Logistical arrangements: Apsemo will maintain 24-hour operations for I-Libya using the following communications. Families in Albay can use our communications facilities for free to contact their OFW relatives in Libya—including phone calls and texting/SMS.
Salceda’s Landlines Apsem67 0(6352) – 480-3772, 480-5222, 820-1755 (Legazpi numbers).

Albay Embassy 0(632)-877-76-72, 381-31-61 (Makati)
Contact persons: Apsemo: Cedric Daep, Jukes Nunez, Choi Rianes, Lyn, Susan, Joan

Albay Embassy: sheena santayana, ronn petitt, jonathan lalo, zaldy santillan

Salceda’s email addresses: pdrrmcalbay@yahoo.com, others: , , ;
–Tony Lopez, Manila Times

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