Press Release No. 132-03
2 April 2003
OPLE
ORDERS EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES TO ADOPT PLAN VS SARS SPREAD AMONG OFWS;
CITES SEAFARERS AS “SPECIAL CONCERN”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople instructed all foreign posts to adopt
a contingency plan against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome to avoid its
spread among Filipino overseas workers including seafarers.
Ople said contingency measures include the setting up of a SARS desk at every
embassy and consulate where Filipinos can receive updated information about
the new disease.
“This is part of the preventive measures ordered by President Arroyo,” he
stressed, adding that access to official reports of the World Health Organization
and Department of Health would help reduce panic among Filipinos abroad.
Secretary Ople said the Philippines is fortunate to have no known SARS case
to date while maintaining that special care should be given to the health
needs of OFWs including Filipino seafarers who travel from port to port.
Recently, SARS claimed the life of Adela Dalingay, a Filipino domestic helper
based in Hong Kong.
The Secretary also ordered embassy officials in China to make sure that all
Filipinos working there are properly informed about the symptoms related
to SARS. He cited reports that China remains the country with the largest
number of SARS cases. According to the World Health Organization, 806
cases with 34 deaths have been reported in China.
There are 700 Filipinos in Guangdong Province where SARS was said to have
originated. According to the DFA, Filipinos in China remain calm and have
kept to their normal routines despite the SARS outbreak. Hospital employees,
however, are required to don surgical masks while on duty.
Ople said Filipino seafarers particularly those visiting ports situated in
countries with known SARS cases are a special concern following a report
from the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta that an Indonesian crewman died of
suspected SARS on the way to Singapore from Hong Kong. Another six Indonesian
crewmen are still in quarantine at Singapore’s seaport.
“We have slightly more than two hundred thousand seafarers deployed overseas
and I urge them to take the necessary preventive measures against SARS during
these port calls,” Ople added.
He suggested that the Department of Labor and Employment and Department of
Health work closely with the different manning agencies and local maritime
associations in providing SARS updates to Filipino seafarers. Embassies and
consulates were also given strict instructions to meet with seafarers’ groups
and their dependents abroad in a bid to expand the reach of the Philippine
government’s SARS preventive education campaign.
As of yesterday, the WHO has reported a cumulative total of 1804 cases of
SAR and 62 deaths have been reported from 15 days; this represents an increase
of 182 cases and 4 deaths compared with the previous day.
Other countries reporting additional cases include Canada (9), Taiwan, China
(3), Italy (1), Singapore (1), Thailand (1), and the United States of America
(10). The same WHO report dated April 1, 2003, said Australia and Belgium
have reported their first probable cases yesterday (April 1).
Meanwhile, Secretary Ople approved the purchase of 3,400 surgical masks to
be sent to the Philippine Consulate-General in Hong Kong for use of personnel
and daily visitors to the consulate
The request for surgical masks came from Consul-General Victoria Bataclan
who said she has formed a monitoring team to visit 16 Filipinos confined
in various hospitals including five who are confirmed SARS patients. She
cited difficulties encountered by the Consulate in sourcing the WHO-recommended
masks as well as its prohibitive cost at HK$4.00 a piece.
Consulate officials noted that the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong has led most
Filipino domestic helpers to spend their usual weekend day-offs at home with
their employers instead of going to the park or mall.
“Our Filipino workers in Hong Kong are quite aware of the health risks posed
by SARS and have become very cautious with their movements within Hong Kong,”
Consul-General Bataclan said.
She added that the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong recently turned
over 180,000 primers on SARS specifically for Filipino OFWs. “The Information
Ministry sought the help of the Consulate in having its official SARS primer
translated to Pilipino for the benefit of our OFWs,” Bataclan explained.
The primers have already been distributed to members of the Filipino community.
END