PAL ready to help repatriate Pinoys from Syria

Thursday 18th August, 2011 (Source: Sun Star Daily)

MANILA -- The government announced Thursday that the country's flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) offered help for the repatriation of Filipinos trapped in Syria amid escalating political tension there.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said PAL president and chief operation officer Jaime Bautista is ready to coordinate with the government in mapping out the repatriation plans for 17,000 Filipino workers in the Arab country. "PAL is ready to coordinate with the Philippine government to map out the repatriation plan aimed at ensuring the safe transport of Filipinos from so-called 'danger zones' in Syria," Lacierda said.

Among the critical issues to be agreed upon include the pick-up point where PAL will fetch Filipino evacuees, the kind of aircraft to be used, availability of flight crew, processing of flight and landing permits, and ground handling arrangements.

Lacierda said the government will only shoulder the fuel and cost of cabin crew while the rest of the expenses will be shouldered by PAL.

"This will really be an expense for them because pagpunta sa Syria walang nakasakay," he noted.

He thanked PAL for the help. "We are very thankful for the offer of the Philippine Airlines as they continue to support the government in its repatriation effort in Syria."

The DFA raised the crisis alert level in Syria to 3, in light of the continuing political tension in said country and as a precautionary measure for the 17,000 Filipinos there.

Under level 3, voluntary repatriation at the government's expense will be offered to Filipinos who wish to leave Syria in light of the escalating tension.

At least 40 of the 17,000 Filipinos in Syria have expressed interest to be repatriated.

The DFA said not all of them cited the growing violence there as the reason for deciding to come home.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said many of the present batches who want to be repatriated have had "labor problems" in the Middle Eastern country.

"There are around 40 Filipinos in the embassy who would like to be repatriated for different reasons. Some of them cited labor matters and issues, others are connected with the violence there," he said on Thursday.

Bautista, for his part, stressed that for years, PAL "has been called upon to operate emergency missions to evacuate Filipinos in conflict-stricken territories."

In March, the Philippines' flag carrier picked up hundreds of Filipinos in Crete, Greece, after they fled the civil war in Libya.