MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) most modern vessel stands ready to repatriate Filipino workers in the Middle East as tensions rise between the United States and Iran.
Offshore patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang
was supposed to arrive from France next month but
it has been directed to assist Filipinos who may need extrication in the Middle East.
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“Mahalaga para sa amin ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan na nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa. Makakaasa po kayo na nakatutok ang PCG sa mga nangyayari sa Middle East para masiguro ang kaligtasan ng ating mga makabagong bayani,” PCG commandant Vice Adm. Joel Garcia said.
(The welfare of our countrymen working abroad is important to us. Expect the PCG to monitor the developments in the Middle East to ensure the safety of our modern-day heroes.)
BRP Gabriela Silang, along with its 35 crew members, are tasked to prepare to sail to the Middle East, particularly Oman or Dubai, to ensure the safety and security of Filipino workers through ferry missions, the PCG said in a statement.
The coast guard will also deploy an additional 18 crew members to assist the ship in its first-ever mission to assist OFWs in the Middle East.
The 83.6-meter BRP Gabriela Silang, considered as the largest and most advanced aluminum hull offshore patrol vessel,
was ordered to prepare to bring OFWs to safer ports where they may
be airlifted if needed.
The vessel can carry around 500 people at a time and can perform beyond its contractual specification of 20 knots. It also has a range of 8,000 nautical miles at 15 knots and can endure up to five weeks of operation, according to the PCG.
"It has an excellent sea keeping ability and maneuverability on top of the great comfort it offers for people onboard," the statement read.
The Philippine Embassy in Iraq has raised Alert Level 4 in the Gulf state, calling for evacuation or mandatory repatriation.
According to the DFA, the highest crisis status
is issued "when there is
large-scale internal conflict or full-blown external attack."