THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it has no plan yet to issue a travel advisory to Indonesia amid continuing protest actions in Jakarta and other parts of the country.
The mass actions, with protesters hurling rocks at riot police who in turn hurled tear gas, were triggered by reports that lawmakers are receiving huge housing allowances on top of their base salaries.
Reports said the protests now occur in at least 32 of Indonesia’s 38 provinces.
DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona also said contingency plans are in place for Filipinos in Indonesia if the situation worsens.
“We see no need yet to issue a travel advisory but we are continuously monitoring developments, so, if you are planning to travel, it’s better to practice caution),” she said in Filipino at the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” forum.
The DFA said that as of July 31 this year, there were 6,002 Filipinos in Indonesia, 1,779 of whom are living and working in Jakarta.
Escalona said most of the Filipinos in Indonesia are professional workers, such as engineers.
She said no Filipino has been affected by the protests.
“They are being taken good care by their employers,” she said.
“We are prepared to render assistance and we have contingency plans for any crisis or emergency,” she added.
The DFA said the embassy and consulate have advised members of the Filipino community to exercise caution, avoid protest areas, and stay informed through their Facebook pages and Assistance-to-Nationals.
It added the embassy can be reached at https://facebook.com/PHLinIndonesia, the Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) number via WhatsApp: +62 811887334 and the consulate in Manado through https://facebook.com/PHinManado. The embassy and the ATN can also be reached through telephone numbers +62 811-4321-132 and +62 811-431-130.
