28 March 2014 – Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretaries Petronila P. Garcia (Middle East and African Affairs) and Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek (Personnel and Administrative Services) arrived in Damascus, Syria on March 22 as part of their visit to Philippine Embassies and Consulates General in the Middle East.
The two officials’ visit to the Philippine Embassy in Damascus is a follow-through on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to Congress to enhance its delivery of services to Filipinos abroad and to exert its best efforts to obtain better working conditions for overseas Filipino workers.
It was also an opportune time for the Embassy to conduct the 3rd Kapihan sa Pasuguan which was attended by more than 50 members and officers of the Filipino Community in Syria (FCS). The Kapihan was held on March 23, right after the Sunday Holy Mass, in one of the function rooms of the St. Anthony Church in Damascus.
During the Kapihan, Charge d’ Affaires (CDA) Nestor N. Padalhin introduced Assistant Secretary Garcia and Assistant Secretary Thomeczek to the Filipino community. CDA Padalhin expressed his thanks to the assistant secretaries for their valuable presence. He then informed the Filipino community that their visit to Syria is part of the Philippine government’s effort to promote one of the pillars of Philippine Foreign Policy: “The protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas.”
Assistant Secretary Garcia and Assistant Secretary Thomeczek gladly took part in the Kapihan with the OFWs which focused on the ongoing Mandatory Repatriation Program (MRP) of the Philippine government for all Filipinos in Syria.
Assistant Secretary Garcia encouraged all the Filipinos who are still in Syria to avail of the MRP while it is still in place. On the other hand, Assistant Secretary Thomeczek assured Filipinos married to Syrian nationals or those with legal residency who want to apply for e-Passport that she will convey to the appropriate authorities in Manila for the conduct of a consular mobile service in Damascus by the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, at the soonest. After the Kapihan, all attendees shared coffee and light snacks.
After the Kapihan, Assistant Secretary Thomeczek conducted the lecture-seminar on Gender Sensitivity and Violence against Women (VAW) at the Philippine Chancery. The seminar was attended by CDA Padalhin, Assistant Secretary Garcia, Vice Consul Maynard S. Maleon, Embassy staff, members of the Rapid Response Team and Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA)-Damascus’ Administrative Assistant.
The seminar aims to impart to the participants the importance of gender sensitivity in the workplace. The essential mechanisms and the various relevant laws on the protection of the rights of women were discussed during the seminar.
Also discussed is the role of gender awareness and sensitivity in helping Filipino women workers who were victims of physical abuse and exploitation. Assistant Secretary Thomeczek advised the people who are in-charge of the Assistance-to-Nationals section, as well as the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Persons to be more cautious and extra sensitive in dealing with victims of rape and physical abuse, especially in interviewing them to extract personal details and vital information. Other very important matter discussed is the creation of the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) which handles cases on sexual harassment filed against a government employee.
During the seminar, Assistant Secretary Garcia extended her help by responding to relevant questions asked by some participants.
At the end of the seminar, CDA Padalhin thanked Assistant Thomeczek for a very informative lecture presentation. He also acknowledged that the conduct of the said seminar is timely in order to respond constructively to the complaint filed recently by the Office of Congressman Bello against some employees of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), OWWA and the embassy on the “sex-for-flight” issue. Assistant Secretary Thomeczek also advised the participants that information gathered from the seminar on gender sensitivity must be translated into action in the workplace.
Aside from attending the Kapihan sa Pasuguan and the conduct of the Gender Sensitivity seminar, Assistant Secretary Garcia and Assistant Secretary Thomeczek also visited the Embassy’s Halfway Quarters for overseas Filipino workers displaced by the ongoing conflict in Syria. END