15 November 2016 -  Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay, Jr. said on Monday that he will send a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to Erbil, Kurdistan to assist the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad monitor and prepare for any contingency that may arise as a result of the escalating fighting in Mosul, which is a few kilometers away from Erbil.

Although the prevailing situation does not require a change in the current alert level, Secretary Yasay said appropriate steps would have to be taken to ensure that the Philippine government is ready to lead Overseas Filipinos Overseas (OFWs) in Kurdistan out of harm’s way.

Secretary Yasay instructed Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Jesus I. Yabes to immediately deploy the RRT to Kurdistan, assess the situation in Mosul, issue advisories and alerts, and engage with the Filipino community in Erbil and neighboring areas.

Secretary Yasay said that this is a proactive measure to assure OFWs in Kurdistan of the Philippine government’s readiness to assist them in times of crisis. It may be recalled that there is no established Philippine diplomatic or consular presence in the Kurdistan Region. As such, the Philippine Embassies in Baghdad, Ankara, and Tehran have been instructed to activate their crisis teams to prepare for contingencies in the event OFWs are transported across their borders.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is reminding all OFWs in Kurdistan to be vigilant and monitor advisories issued by the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad at all times. END