DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REITERATES ADVISORY TO FILIPINOS 
TO POSTPONE FOR NOW ANY TRAVEL TO SRI LANKA 

11 September 2006 — The Department of Foreign Affairs reiterates its advisory to Filipinos to postpone for the moment any travel to Sri Lanka in view of the continuing security situation in the northern and eastern regions of the country, including in the capital Colombo. 

The Department issued the advisory on 30 August 2006 upon the recommendation of Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh Norberto R. Basilio, who has concurrent jurisdiction over Sri Lanka.  Ambassador Basilio said that “travel to Sri Lanka be avoided unless extremely necessary” and “Philippine aircrafts and vessels avoid the northern and eastern Sri Lanka routes.”  (Please see Press Release SFA-AGR-732-06, dated 30 August 2006, for the background information.) 

Philippine Honorary Consul General in Colombo William John Terrence Perera reported to Ambassador Basilio that the majority of Filipinos in Sri Lanka have moved to the safer southern part of the country.  Embassy records show that there are about 500 to 600 Filipinos in Sri Lanka, most of whom are OFWs, NGO workers and spouses of Sri Lankan nationals. 

The Department advises Filipinos who, due to extreme and official necessity, have to travel to Sri Lanka to report immediately upon arrival to the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Colombo at the following address:  

Philippine Honorary Consulate General
No. 41, Sir Ernest da Silva Mawatha (Flower Road)
Colombo 07, Sri Lanka
Telephone: (+9411) 268-4480; 269-6321. 

END

/jay

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