AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN UNDER FIRE FOR SLOW INFO FLOW; HE BLAMES CUT LINES
MANILA, MARCH 13, 2011 (TRIBUNE) Philippine diplomatic officials in Japan, primarily Japanese Ambassador Manuel Lopez, were criticized yesterday for the slow flow of information regarding the status of some 4,500 Filipinos living in areas in that country that were severely affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Friday afternoon.
At press time, all the Philippine Embassy in Japan can report was that "it is checking if the 4,500 Filipinos living in northeastern Japan which bore the brunt of the quake and tsunami are in good condition."
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it has not received a report from its embassy or consulates in Japan on Filipino casualties in the magnitude-8.9 quake and resulted in a 10-meter tsunami that swept some coastal areas there.
Hundreds were feared dead while scores remain missing.
What was likely, however, is that there were not enough efforts exerted to locate Filipinos since Philippine Ambassador Manuel Lopez said phone communication lines have bogged down, making it hard for them to establish connection with the Filipinos in areas directly hit by the quake and tsunami, adding that they only get information through the Internet.
"As of 4 a.m. we don't have any information of Filipinos injured in the quake. We continue to monitor the situation. Our staff is trying to get in touch with the Philippine community in Japan," Lopez said on radio.
This was in contrast to the dispatch at which other countries have reached their residents.
Malaysian ambassador to Japan Datuk Shaharuddin Md Som, said of the 4,307 Malaysians registered with the embassy, including 1,521 students, 100 Malaysians, including 67 students living in the affected zones of Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefectures, have been contacted.
"They are safe and have been in touch with us since the quake struck," he told the New Straits Times in a telephone interview from Tokyo.
Shaharuddin added the embassy had opened a 24-hour operations center for families, friends and the media from Malaysia to obtain updates on the developments in Japan.
In a press conference, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said the embassy and the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka are constantly in touch with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the local governments of the three hardest-hit prefectures of Iwata, Miyago and Fukushima.
In Iwate prefecture, the hardest hit towns are Ofunato, and Rizuken Takata. It is home to approximately 909 Filipinos. In Miyagi prefecture, the hardest hit towns are Wakabaya-shi and Kesennuma. There are approximately 1,039 Filipinos there. In Fukushima prefecture, the hardest hit towns are Iwaki, Shirakawa, Sukugawa and Soma. There are some 2,366 Filipinos there.
Seguis said the DFA is also coordinating with the four honorary consulates in Sapporo, Morioka, Nagoya and Naha—as well as the different Filipino community groups.
Overseas Filipino workers advocate Migrante said Lopez should act swiftly and competently to help Filipino victims of the strong earthquake.
"We are particularly curious about the plans of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo to help affected Filipinos in the northern part of the country, especially Sendai which is directly affected by the 30-meter tsunami that hit the northern coastline hours after the earthquake," Migrante said in a statement.
"We call on Ambassador Manuel Lopez to act swiftly to determine the extent of damage to our compatriots living in the areas affected, to secure their safety and to extend all necessary support and assistance to them," it added.
Most of the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Filipinos in Northern Japan are marriage migrants, entertainers, trainees and factory workers, it said.
Many of them, especially those living along the Sendai coastline may have already lost their homes and possibly their jobs as well, and therefore, need immediate support in terms of rescue and evacuation, Migrante added.
"We hope that the Philippine Embassy will not follow the lead of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which handled the the political crisis in Egypt and Libya indecisively and incompetently," it said.
It added the government should exhaust all means to reach out to every single Filipino in every area devastated by the 8.9 earthquake and the 30-meter tsunami that slammed the northeastern coastline of Honshu Island one after the other; and to ensure that all are well accounted for, on safer grounds and their needs adequately addressed.
"We challenge President Aquino to reflect and rethink his government's Labor Export Policy (LEP) and instead begin implementing genuine economic programs that will truly address poverty, unemployment and landlessness for the majority of farmers in the Philippines. Our people have suffered long enough from your neo-liberal globalization policy that made the Philippines a bankrupt economy that it is today," it said.
"If we truly are a sovereign nation, then be the first to assert our independence and lead the nation towards the "right path" as you had promised. No Filipino deserves to be pinned beneath tons of rubble, eaten alive by a tsunami and much less fed to vultures preying on poor people's labor. We deserve to be with our family, in the comfort of our own home and enjoying the fruits of our hard work," Migrante added.
Embassy figures showed a total of 305,972 Filipinos in Japan, of this 230,000 are in Tokyo and Osaka.
"Japan is home to a sizeable number of Filipinos, whose welfare the government considers its paramount concern. The government and our diplomatic and consular officials are working closely with authorities at all levels in Japan, to ascertain the condition of Filipino nationals in the affected areas, respond to their needs, and ensure their welfare and safety," said acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario.
The Philippine embassy has strongly advised the Filipino community in Japan to take the necessary precautionary measures and to closely monitor the news.
In case of emergency, Filipinos were urged to proceed to the nearest fire station or city hall in their area to receive instructions and assistance.
The embassy also requested Filipino community organizations to provide information on any Filipino injury, casualty or requests for assistance.
The Japanese government urged people in coastal and low-lying areas to evacuate to higher ground due to the threat of tsunamis. The Japanese meteorological experts predict more aftershocks.
Emergency landline numbers for members of the Filipino community in Japan are +81-3-5562-1570, +81-3-5562-1577, and +81-3-5562-1590. Embassy officials can also be e-mailed for inquiries at emergency@philembassy.net. As soon as telephone service resumes operations, members of the Filipino community may also contact emergency numbers +81-3-5562-1573 and +81-3-5562-1574.
"Landline and mobile phone networks remain down in their area. However, internet services remain available," the embassy said.
The embassy said it was able to establish contact with its honorary consulates across Japan but still could not determine if a Filipino was hurt in the incident.
In Manila, the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) also set up hotline numbers and an e-mail address for those who would like to inquire about the conditions of Filipino relatives in Japan. The hotline numbers at the DFA-OUMWA's Crisis Management Center are 834-4646 and 834-4580. Requests for information may also be sent through e-mail address dfaoumwa.cmc@gmail.com.
Vice President
Vice President and Jejomar Jejomar Binay, who is also Presidential Adviser on overseas Filipino workers' (OFW) affairs, assured families of Filipinos in Japan that the government is ready to extend assistance to their family members.
"The Filipino people can rest assured that all concerned government agencies are already on alert and are ready to extend immediate assistance should the need arise," Binay said. "We are coordinating with all government agencies concerned to be able to react to the needs of affected Filipinos in Japan."
Manila has conveyed its condolences to the government and people of Japan over the heartrending loss of life and widespread destruction inflicted by the massive earthquake.
"The Philippines stands in firm solidarity with Japan during these difficult times, confident that the indomitable spirit and resilience of the Japanese nation will ultimately prevail over this catastrophe," Del Rosario said.
Malacañang, meanwhile, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) has formed teams to help Japan in search and rescue operations.
According to deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte, the Philippine National Red Cross is also preparing to send its contingent to lend Japanese a hand as they try to recover from the devastating effects of the said catastrophe.
Valte, however, said the details as to when these rescue teams will be deployed to Japan are not yet clear as of the moment.
Expressing his condolences for the people of Japan, Aquino wrote his counterpart Prime Minister Naoto Kan shortly after the tragedy happened and assured him that the Philippine government "stands ready, to extend any support and assistance within its capability."
"As a close friend and neighbor, Japan has constantly stood by the Philippines, as we dealt with past tribulations wrought by nature. Our extensive and long-standing ties of friendship means that Japan is also home to a vast number of Filipinos, whose welfare also represents a paramount concern," Aquino said in his letter to Kan posted by the government in its website.
Aquino, who came from a four-day state visit to Indonesia and Singapore, said he was grateful to know that the country had been spared from the potential disastrous impact of the enormous water walls that engulfed Japan.
"First of all, we are thankful to the Almighty for sparing our country from the damages wrought by the tsunami generated by the earthquake in Japan. We have already extended our sympathies to the government of Japan and we are in constant touch with them to ensure the safety of the Filipinos in their country," Aquino said in an arrival statement late Friday evening.
Valte said the President has directed Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to instruct members of the Philippine embassy and consulate in Japan to render all possible assistance to the Filipinos who were affected by the disaster there.
"So far, we have not yet received report of any casualty and we are hoping that it will say that way," Valte said over the state-run radio dzRB.
Valte happily reported as well that no untoward incidents transpired according to the Philippine Coast Guard as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) finally lifted the tsunami alert level two it has imposed on 19 provinces throughout the country.
The Palace official attributed such welcome developments to the government agencies' quick response to the situation as well as the media's cooperation especially in terms of disseminating information to the public.
(Naging kaakibat po natin 'yung ating mga kaibigan po sa media para po mailabas nang napakabilis 'yung impormasyon. As early as in the afternoon, we were getting reports that 'yung sa northern and southern Leyte po ay na-evacuate na successfully. So talagang mabuti po at naging mabilis 'yung response at mas marami po talagang tumulong sa atin.)
"We were supported by our friends from the media who promptly released the information. As early as in the afternoon, we were getting reports that the [residents from] northern and southern Leyte have been evacuated successfully. So the response was really quick and we were able to get a lot of help," Valte said.
Valte added that what happened to Japan has taught the country many lessons focusing on further improvements that the government has to make in terms of its responsiveness. She also mentioned that the experience made the public realize that they have to do their fair share of preparations and not just rely on the authorities all the time.
Nearly a quarter of a million people, meanwhile, returned to their homes all along the eastern coast of the country as the threat of a tsunami from Japan's devastating quake subsided, officials said.
The government ordered the country's mostly rural Pacific seaboard cleared of people on Friday hours after a magnitude 8.9 quake unleashed tsunamis on Japan's east coast and triggered a Pacific-wide alert.
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council executive director Benito Ramos said residents had returned home after spending the night at temporary shelters inland.
"With the issuance of the tsunami alert cancellation all evacuees have returned home," Ramos said in a statement at midday.
The council said 224,243 people were moved off the coasts overnight, either on their own or using military trucks.
Small waves struck the country, but caused no damage or casualties.
Despite the lifting of the alert, NDRRMC said it is not discounting the possibility of any untoward incidents that might still occur.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) lifted its ban on boats from going out to sea Saturday morning, after the tsunami threat.
At least 9,412 families or 55,335 people in Luzon alone were preemptively evacuated Friday in anticipation of the tsunami, the NDRRMC also said in its 1 a.m. update. Gina Peralta-Elorde
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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