Safety of Filipinos in Ukraine is PH’s ‘chief, singular concern,’ says DFA chief

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Amid escalating tensions in Ukraine over a feared Russian invasion, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured it is focused on bringing more than 300 Filipinos there “out of harm’s way.”

The safety of Filipinos in Ukraine is the Philippine government’s “chief and singular concern,” DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Our chief and singular concern is to take out of harm’s way our fellow Filipinos in Ukraine and bringing them to the nearest places of safety by the fastest possible way.”

“Our offer to take Filipinos in Kiev is underway,” he added.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola is in charge of the repatriation effort for Filipinos in Ukraine who want to come home, according to Locsin.

On February 17, the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw sent a consular team to Lviv, Ukraine, where it has jurisdiction.

This is to enable “faster coordination” with the Filipino community and relevant authorities there, the DFA earlier said.

“The move is also to guarantee immediate assistance to Filipino nationals,” it added.

On February 18, six Filipinos who requested repatriation from Ukraine returned to the Philippines.

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