A ranking official of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs noted that the country is open to working with the CNMI in terms of long-term recovery assistance for its nationals in the Northern Marianas.<\/p>\n
Enrico Fos, executive director of the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, told Saipan Tribune yesterday that, while a definitive decision to send assistance from the Philippines has yet to be confirmed, the Asian country is open to negotiations with the CNMI for long-term construction and recovery assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the Philippines, there are a lot of skilled workers in the construction industry. If there is an opening for these people to come here and help out\u2014hired by constructions companies here\u2014I believe the Philippines is a good source of that manpower,\u201d Fos said. \u201cThis is one of the possible assistance of the Philippines to the CNMI.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026It may be complicated, but at the end of the day, there is a need; a matching skill for the need; and if there is a company willing to hire [from the Philippines] at a decent condition, it would be possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When asked if the Philippine government would be sending assistance to the CNMI, Fos noted that nothing is final.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026There is no decision yet whether we can send assistance,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the same time\u2026we have discovered that there is assistance not just for U.S. citizens but for everyone,\u201d adding that U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency benefits, the Disaster Nutritional Assistance Program, and the CNMI Department of Labor\u2019s Disaster Unemployment Assistance are available to most Filipinos in the CNMI.<\/p>\n
Fos spent two days on Saipan meeting with Filipino organizations. While he did not disclose which specific organizations he met, he noted that the purpose of his visit was to gather information on the situation of Filipinos affected by Super Typhoon Yutu. He was accompanied by DFA\u2019s Hermogenes \u201cJun\u201d Cayabyab, Philippine Consulate General in Guam vice consul Alex Vallespin, and CNMI honorary consul Glicerio \u201cEli\u201d Arago during his meeting with press secretary Kevin Bautista and Lt. Gov. Victor B. Hocog yesterday at the Governor\u2019s Office on Capital Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The CNMI] is in the phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation\u2014[the CNMI] is no longer in the initial relief phase,\u201d he noted. \u201c\u2026If ever there is a need for more assistance, that is where we will concentrate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fos noted that, based on his talks with several Filipino organizations, the Saipan local government\u2019s main are construction workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have plenty of that,\u201d he said, while adding that he noticed the speed of recovery on the island. \u201cThe island is almost on the brink of recovery\u2014normalcy is fast becoming a reality here and long-term rehabilitation is beginning to be implemented,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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