Spokesperson Raul Hernadez (Department of Foreign Affairs) Kalye Escalera Interview Jan. 17, 2012/ 8 to 9am. DZRB 738 Khz/ Radyo ng Bayan

Spokesperson Raul Hernadez (Department of Foreign Affairs) Kalye Escalera Interview Jan. 17, 2012/ 8 to 9am. DZRB 738 Khz/ Radyo ng Bayan

KE: Good morning sir!

RH: Good morning!

KE: You are with us dito po sa radyo ng bayan, this is Kalye Escalera ako po sin Ate Joee G. kasama po si Ms.Tea. Asec. ang kauna-unahang tanong at this point in time, nasaan po at kumusta ang ating mga kababayan almost 300 of them?

RH: Yung mga Filipino crew members po ay they were affiliated first but yesterday they checked out from the hotel and they were transported to hotel Hilton in Rome. Nasa Roma na sila and they are on repatriation back to the Phils. which is now being implemented. So maybe the coming Filipinos which is 296 na nasa Costa Concordia will be coming back to Manila.

KE: Doon po sa mga nawawala na pinaghahanap pa until now wala ho bang Filipino na nandun?

RH: Ang sabi po ng mga owner ng ship na lahat ng Filipino na 296 ay all accounted for and they are for repatriation. Maganda pa dito yung management ng barko ay nagbigay sa atin ng assurance na they will give full compensation to the Filipino crew and they will refund the loss belongings and they will replace their loss cash. Lahat ng mga pangangailangan ng ating mga Filipino crew members will be address and they will be immediately repatriated back to the Phils.

KE: Buti naman kung ganun hindi lamang po cash ang nawala sa kanila kundi pati passport?

RH: Yung mga passport na nawala at yung bag na  nabasa na di na magamit, so yung ating embassy dun sa Roma immediately issue them travel documents and with photographs of course this was process free of charge by our embassy.

KE: Para maging mas malinaw po sa mga mahal nila sa buhay na  mga naririto ngayon na nakasakay ho dun sa barkong tumagilid. Ano ho yung particular na assistance na binibigay ng DFA at yung sasagutin ng pamahalaan ng Italya o yung kumpanya na involve sa insidente?

RH: Gaya ng sinabi ko kanina ang ating embahada ay immediately sent a seven man response team para tignan yung mga kondisyon ng mga Filipinos doon onsite. Immediately natignan nila yung mga pangagailangan clothes and travel documents also and they also coordinated the ship owners and also with govt. of Italy. Ngayon yung ship owner has promised to our embassy ba bibigyan lahat ng mga Filipino crew members ng full compensation yung salary and other compensation.

KE: Insurance kasama po dun Asec.?

RH:  I don’t know about insurance but ang sabi nila it would be given full compensation. Included are refund of their loss belongings kung nawala yung mga bags nila damit, jewelries, etc. they will be refunded. Tapos yung nawala nilang pera will also be replace so this is a good action of the company and we appreciate this.

KE: Sa inyo pong pakikipag-ugnayan dun sa kumpanya dun sa Italya kailan po makakauwi yung ating mga kababayan?

RH: I think they will be bringing the Filipinos to the airport for further flight back to the Phils. I think this will be by batch but as to the number of Filipinos coming ni by batch and what they will be arriving here wala pa ho tayong confirmation.

KE: Asec. kanina nabanggit ninyo after ma-recover natin ang ating mga kababayan nagkaroon sila ng pagkakataon kahit papano makapagpahinga dinala natin sila sa isang hotel. Is that at the expense ng ating pamahalaan o nang Italian company?

RH: This is at expense of the Italian company yung Costa Crociere they were the ones who put them in the hotels.

KE: Ang atin lang concern siyempre itinuturing nating mga OFWs itong mga ito. Ang mangyayari niyan, yes they will be compensated pero ang ending uuwi sila dito sa ating bayan. Chances are they might loss employment dahil sa pangayaring ito, has there been any assurance coming from the Italian company whether they will be reabsorb just in case na magkakaroon ng pagkakataon?

RH: I think one of the officers of the Magsaysay shipping corp. was interviewed the other day at narinig ko po na, what will happen pahinga muna sila because maybe some of them have trauma and some are still ni shock because of the incident. After that hopefully they will be redeployed I don’t know if they will be redeployed in the same company kasi malaki daw ito marami ang barkong ang meron ito. All to other shipping companies so we will try to coordinate with the Magsaysay shipping company kung ano ang mangyayari sa kanila.

KE: Asec. kung maayos po na naasikaso ang mga kababayan natin mula sa tumagild na cruise ship sa Italya, kumusta po ang ating mga OFW sa ibang bansa?

RH: Last Friday were able to repatriate 73 Filipinos in one batch this is so far from Syria and before that nakapag-repatriate tayo ng mg 56 Filipinos from Syria all women. We are trying to aim those sa mga concrete areas na tinatawag and we have already sought the help of the govt. para malaman natin kung saan yung exact location ng mga kababayan natin doon para matulungan silang ma-repatriate.

KE: Yung target po nating dami ng pauuwin mula sa Syria ay nakakamit na po natin?

RH: Actually we would like to repatriate everyone especially to those who wants to be repatriated because of the violence there. But ang sabi ng ating Sec. of Foreign Affairs to be able to repatriate 20% of the Filipinos there is already a good number and hopefully will be able to do that.

KE: Kumusta po doon sa ibang bansa na magugulo po sa ngayon at ano po ang plano ng DFA?

RH: It’s up to them we just raise the alert level to 3 which is voluntary repatriation we have only about 150 Filipinos there. Mostly there are in construction companies the UN and other organizations but most of them ay nasa capital ng South Sudan at yung karahasan naman na nangyayari doon ay nasa north near Ethiopia. So even then gusto natin yung gustong magpa-repatriate, magpa-repatriate na in case yung violence ay mangayari.

KE: Asec. kukuha din kami ng update sa yo tungkol sa naganap na pagguho ng isang five storey building sa Lebanon, kumusta na po?

RH: I just received a text from our ambassador there mayroong I think dalawa o tatlo na Filipino na affected by that incident.

KE: Namatay po ba yung mga Filipino na mga yun?

RH: I am not so sure yet that’s why I’m waiting for the full report today and maybe later on I could share this with you.

KE: Dalawa o tatlong Filipino po yung affected hindi na ho kaya tataas sa bilang na yun?

RH: Maghintay lang po tayo maybe before the end of the day we will be receiving the full report of our embassy there.

KE: Maraming-maraming salamat po Asec. Raul Hernandez sa lahat po ng impormasyon!

RH: Thank you very much and more power to the both of you!

KE: More power din po, and good morning po!