DFA evacuates 33 Filipinos in Georgia

By Zyann Ambrosio – ABS-CBN Newsonline
A total of 33 overseas Filipino workers trapped in the war between Georgia and Russia have been evacuated from the strife-torn country, the Philippine foreign affairs department announced on Monday.

The DFA home office in Manila said that the 33 evacuated Filipinos were among the 80 OFWs in Georgia.

The department earlier reported that 60 Filipinos were trapped in the capital of Tbilisi while 20 others were in the port city of Bantumi.

The evacuated Filipinos are now Azerbaijan citizens.

Meanwhile, Filipinos working for the company called International Container Terminal Services, Inc. are in safe condition.

The company said that once the conflict worsens, it is prepared to close down the port that it operates.

As this developed, an alliance of migrant workers criticized the government’s contingency plan.

Migrante International said the government should not only focus its attention on Georgia. It added that a counter-attack by Georgia could affect Filipinos in nearby countries.

The group said there are 2,500 Filipinos in Russia, 74 in Georgia and 69 in nearby Turkey.

The Philippines has no embassy in Georgia. The embassy in Turkey has jurisdiction over Georgia.

The DFA added that Turkish visas of more than 50 Filipinos still remaining in Georgia are now ready while they wait for their company’s decision before evacuating to safer ground.

Some 2,000 people were killed in the strife-torn country of Georgia after its South Ossetia region was attacked by Russia last week.

Georgia and Russia were once part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. When the USSR ended in 1992, Georgia was recognized as an independent country.

Georgia’s leader is a known supporter of the West. South Ossetia is reportedly an ally of Russia.

Last Thursday, Georgia attacked South Ossetia to regain control of the breakaway region. The conflict further escalated when 12 Russian peacekeepers were killed in Georgia.

Russia retaliated by bombing some military base in Georgia.

Find more like this: News