MECO: FILIPINOS ARE SAFE IN TAIWAN

 

Dateline Kamuning:

Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Chairman and Resident Representative Silvestre Bello III on Saturday allayed concerns about the safety of Filipinos in Taiwan amid brewing tensions with neighboring China.

Bello said the Philippine government, through MECO, is looking out for the welfare and well-being of the Filipinos there.

“So we would like to assure you, everyone. I’ll take this opportunity to inform you… in Taiwan everything is normal and, if in the remote possibility na magkaroon ng emergency situation, like for example earthquake, mga lindol o even war, preparado po ang Taiwan government not only in protecting their own people but even the Filipinos, especially our workers,” Bello said in a media forum in Quezon City.

According to Bello, the National Police Agency of Taiwan has assured him the protection and security of the Filipinos in the self-ruled island nation.

“I met with the Director General together with the head of the Home Civilian Defense of Taiwan and they assured us na iyong ating mga kababayan ay protektado nila,” Bello said.

Bello said he was told by security officials that Taiwan has 89,000 shelters that can accommodate more than the total population of Taiwan.

“Ganoon kapreparado iyong ating mga kasama sa Taiwan and they really treasure our OFWs kasi sila, according to them, are the best in their manufacturing industry,” he said.

The MECO official noted that 90 percent of the factories in Taiwan are serviced by Filipino workers.

He said roughly 160,000 OFWs are in factories and all the rest are highly skilled teachers, farmers, and workers in the hospitality industry.

“So, huwag po kayong mag-alala… everything is normal, our OFWs there are safe and there is no danger of what you call confrontation between China and Taiwan,” he said.

Last week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. raised the need to continue “developing cooperation” on an “international scale” to resolve soaring tensions in Taiwan.  (PND)