The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday raised the alert levels in two countries — Bahrain and Japan — to "2," urging Filipinos there to restrict their movements and voluntarily depart those areas.
Citing the tense political situation in Bahrain in the Middle East, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis urged some 31,000 Filipinos in Bahrain to limit their movements and if possible, leave the country.
As for Filipinos in Japan, Seguis urged those within the 30-kilometer radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to stay indoors, if they have not evacuated the area already, as Japanese authorities have urged.
"The situation in Bahrain has also led other countries to adopt similar measures, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand," Seguis said in a statement posted on the DFA website on Tuesday.
"We wish to inform the public that the Embassy's contingency plan is updated and in place, and proactive measures have already been undertaken, including the conduct of meetings with the Filipino community leaders and members to brief them of the contingency plans," Seguis said.
According to the DFA, because the alert level is only "2" (voluntary repatriation), the Filipinos would have to shoulder the travel expenses if they decide to return to the Philippines.
The DFA explained that government resources will only be used to evacuate Filipinos when the alert level is raised to number 3.
As a policy, the employers of OFws will be responsible for their repatriation expenses.
Advisory to Filipinos in Bahrain
Seguis also reiterated the embassy's advisory to Filipinos in Bahrain:
Remain calm.
Actively monitor ongoing developments.
Keep communications lines open with the Embassy and with designated community coordinators.
Inform the Embassy or Filipino community coordinators of their whereabouts.
Refrain from going outdoors.
Stock at least a two-week supply of food and water. Prepare needed medicines, flashlights, candles, mobile phones, and radios.
Make sure that important documents such as passports and driver's licenses are readily available.
Be sensitive to local culture, customs and traditions, and religious beliefs in Bahrain. Avoid making comments or actions that may be considered politically sensitive.
Worsening tension
"We are hopeful that the political situation will stabilize. Nevertheless, precautionary measures are necessary to assure the safety of our Filipinos in Bahrain," he added.
According to a Reuters report, the political tension in Bahrain worsened on Tuesday after 1,000 Saudi troops were deployed to that country, at the request of Bahrain's Sunni royal family.
The political unrest in Bahrain comes as governments in other parts of the world — Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and Libya, also face violent protests and political tensions.
Saudi Arabia, whose Sunni ruling dynasty is closely allied both with Bahrain's royal family and with the United States, sent a column of armored troop carriers into Bahrain on Monday to protect government facilities after mainly Shi'ite protesters overran police and blocked roads.
Earlier on February 21, the DFA issued a travel advisory to defer non-urgent and non-essential travel to Bahrain.
Should the alert level be raised to "3" or "voluntary repatriation," the DFA will make available facilities for the repatriation of Filipinos there.
According to Seguis, the Philippine embassy in Bahrain under Ambassador Corazon Bahjin had met with Filipino community members to brief them of the Embassy's contingency plans since Feb. 17.
Radiation threat in Japan
How much radiation is dangerous?
Japan asked local governments to make more frequent radiation checks after explosions at two nuclear reactors, with reports of radiation levels nine times normal briefly detected in Kanagawa near Tokyo.
Below are some facts about the health dangers posed by higher radiation levels.
# Chief cabinet minister Yukio Edano said radiation levels near the stricken plant on the northeast coast reached as high as 400 millisieverts (mSv) an hour, thousands of times higher than readings before the blast.
That would be 20 times the current yearly level for some nuclear-industry employees and uranium miners.
# Exposure to 350 mSv was the criterion for relocating people after the Chernobyl accident, according to the World Nuclear Association.
# People are exposed to natural radiation of about 2 mSv a year.
# Airline crew flying the New York-Tokyo polar route are
exposed to 9 mSv a year.
# Exposure to 100 mSv a year is the lowest level at which any increase in cancer is clearly evident. A cumulative 1,000 mSv would probably cause a fatal cancer many years later in five out of every 100 persons exposed to it.
# A single 1,000 mSv dose causes radiation sickness such as nausea but not death. A single dose of 5,000 mSv would kill about half of those exposed to it within a month.
# "Very acute radiation, like that which happened in Chernobyl and to the Japanese workers at the nuclear power station, is unlikely for the population," said Lam Ching-wan, a chemical pathologist at the university of Hong Kong. - Reuters
Read more
Meanwhile, Seguis reminded Filipinos to stay clear of the areas near the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
"Those near the Fukushima Daiini nuclear power plant should also observe the 10-kilometer exclusion zone imposed by Japanese authorities," he said.
Japan was struck by a magnitude 9 quake, followed by 10-meter high tsunami on Friday.
To inform Japanese authorities of their location, Filipino nationals are advised to contact the Philippine Embassy if they cannot get in touch with the Fukushima Prefectural Government.
Citing a briefing for the Diplomatic Corps, Seguis said Japanese authorities had said people residing outside the exclusion zones can remain and continue with their normal activities.
However, those who are concerned about ongoing developments may wish to voluntarily relocate to areas further away.
Japanese authorities said they have evacuated the people within the exclusion zones, and are constantly monitoring radiation levels.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that expert-led operations on the ground are systematic and measured.
The cooling measures are continuing and have a "good safety allowance" and the amount of radioactivity leak is under control, Japanese authorities said.
No Filipino injuries or casualties
Seguis said there are still no reports of Filipino injuries or fatalities.
"Most of our Filipino nationals are in the Tokyo metropolitan region, and the capital city is about 250 kilometers away from the said nuclear power plants," he said.
At least 4,500 Filipinos are residing in northern Japan, the area hardest hit by the disaster.
The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo released a list of the names of 42 Filipinos, whose whereabouts are undetermined. However, the DFA said these Filipinos cannot be categorized as missing yet.
“The situation is very fluid at the moment. We can not declare them as missing because we are still checking where they are. We are coordinating this with the embassy," DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said.
Two embassy teams are now in the Sendai area and providing relief goods such as food and water for the Filipino community.
"We expect that we will get more information in the coming days, as Japanese authorities go to the affected areas, assess the damages caused by the earthquake and tsunami and do search and rescue missions," Seguis said.
"Again, we ask our nationals to heed the advisories of the Japanese authorities and our Embassy on evacuation and safety instructions," he added.
Seguis said the Philippine government through the DFA, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, its Consulate General in Osaka and the Honorary Consulates in Sapporo, Morioka, Nagoya and Naha, have reached out to Filipino community leaders and members.
source: gmanews
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