OFWs protest against planned closure of Philippine embassies, consulates

OFWs protest against planned closure of Philippine embassies, consulates

“Closing Philippine embassies and consulates abroad is like abandoningFilipinos abroad,.” – Garry Martinez, Migrante International
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – A global alliance of overseas Filipino workers express alarm over plans of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to close 12 Philippine embassies and consulates abroad by the end of the year. Migrante International said OFWs are up in arms against the DFA’s plan and expressed their disappointment over the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

In a statement, Migrante International chairman Garry Martinez said, “The DFA had announced plans to close down at least 12 Philippine embassies and consulates last year, during budget deliberations, as part of the Aquino administration’s so-called austerity measures. The plan is to complete the closures by the end of 2012. They, however, refused to disclose which embassies or consulates are in danger of closing down.”
Philippine embassies and consulates in Saipan, Romania, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Palau will be closed down this year, according to Martinez. Embassy in Palau will be closed by July this year, a news report said. Daniel Infante Tuaño, a Filipino migrant working in Barcelona, said the Philippine consulate there will be closed by the end of July. He said no official of the consulate consulted them about the closure.

“There was no consultation whatsoever, Ambassador Carlos Salinas visited the Filipino community in Barcelona and he regretfully announced that the Consulate has to be closed by the end of July. It is already final. The Filipino community in Barcelona mobilized and petitioned for the establishment of a full Consulate (here) but now they decided to close it down without even consulting us. They were just informing us because the decision has already been taken,” Tuaño said in an interview through e-mail.

Same thing goes to the Filipino community in Palau where, according to news reports, Filipinos were not consulted about the closure. The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP) was quoted as saying “We were very surprised, worried and concerned because we do not understand the reasons. We cannot think how our government decided without even consulting us Filipinos in Palau.” About 5,000 Filipinos are currently working in Palau, said the report.

Abandon

“Closing Philippine embassies and consulates abroad is like abandoning Filipinos abroad,” said Matinez. In fact, he added, there are shortages of Philippine embassies and consulates around the world. Instead of adding offices the government is closing them down. ..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/02/17/ofws-protest-against-planned-closure-of-philippine-embassies-consulates/