Worst scenario: No money from Greece

A man walks by a “YES” poster as speaks on his mobile phone in front of the parliament in central Athens, on Saturday, July 4, 2015. The Philippine Embassy in Athens is “preparing for the worst-case scenario” for Filipinos living in Greece as the country prepares for Sunday’s referendum on the financial bailout reform proposals of its creditors after it defaulted on its International Monetary Fund loan, Malacañang said on Saturday. AP PHOTO/PETROS KARADJIAS

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Embassy in Athens is “preparing for the worst-case scenario” for Filipinos living in Greece as the country prepares for Sunday’s referendum on the financial bailout reform proposals of its creditors after it defaulted on its International Monetary Fund loan, Malacañang said on Saturday.

“So far, they (Philippine Embassy officials) are waiting for that (referendum result) because that will have an effect on whether there will still be bank withdrawal limitations in Greece. For the time being, our embassy officials are waiting and they are preparing for the worst-case scenario if the situation does not improve,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over government Radyo ng Bayan.

Valte expressed the hope the situation in Greece would normalize to allow Filipinos there to remit money to their families in the Philippines.

“A prolonged restriction on withdrawals will affect remittances to their families,” Valte said.

She said Philippine Ambassador to Greece Nestor Ochoa was set to meet with the Filipino community in Athens.

An estimated 40,000 to 60,000 Filipinos, mostly domestics and seamen, work and live in Greece.–Nikko Dizon