POEA, DFA issue ‘very strong warning’ on OFWs’ arrival in Iraq

Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA)

MANILA – The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Rapid Response Team (RRT) have issued a “very strong warning” Wednesday morning on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) arriving in conflict-stricken Iraq.

POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac shared that the RRT is alarmed with the arrival of more OFWs in Iraq and appealed to OFWs to not be lured with the promise of high pay for deployment to Iraq.

“Do not believe in false promises as you would only regret it. First of all, you might not get paid. Second, the security situation here [in Iraq] might worsen so we should all be vigilant against human traffickers and illegal recruiters. Please let us not believe on the promise of jobs being offered in Iraq,” Ambassador Ricardo Endaya, head of Philippine RRT said.

Meanwhile, the government has been continuously urging Iraq OFWs to follow the mandatory evacuation followed by the raising of Alert Level 4 by the DFA in Iraq except in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

DFA Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said however that out of the 900 Filipinos in Iraq, about 800 are in Iraqi Kurdistan region which he said is a relatively safe place.

The DFA has estimated around 152 Filipinos living in the Baghdad area