THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) yesterday said it is monitoring the status of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Ukraine amid its increasing tension with Russia.
In a television interview, POEA Deputy Administrator Villamor Ventura Plan said they want to ensure that OFWs in Ukraine are safe amid the possible escalation of violence between the two countries.
“Even if there are only few OFWs in Ukraine, their safety is still our primary concern so we are tightly observing the situation,” Plan said.
Asked if OFWs will be repatriated from Ukraine, he said they are still awaiting guidance from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“We are just awaiting official communication from the DFA and from the embassy, then we will we issue the appropriate advisory whether it’s mandatory or voluntary repatriation of OFWs,” Plan said.
“It is our obligation to bring them to safety, whether back to the Philippines or to another country,” added Plan.
POEA data shows there are about 300 OFWs in Ukraine.
