Trapped Filipino Peacekeeper Rescued, Search and Rescue for Filipinos in Haiti
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A Filipino peacekeeper trapped in a hotel in Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean nation
last January 12 has been rescued, the Philippine Contingent Commander reported to the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) Peacekeeping Operations Center today.
10th Philippine Contingent Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lope C. Dagoy said Corporal David F. Catacutan, a
member of the Security Element Defense Platoon of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH), was rescued at the basement gym of Montana Hotel in Port-au-Prince.
Corporal Catacutan had slight body contusion but is in stable condition. He is now in his detachment at the
vicinity of the Montana Hotel. His spouse has been informed of the rescue.
The status of the three other trapped Filipino peacekeepers, however, remains the same.
Meanwhile, a task force within the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent is conducting search and rescue for
Filipinos in Haiti, and reaching out to and making an accounting of members of the Filipino Community there.
The task force, however, said limited visibility, blocked road conditions, poor communications, and
peacekeepers’ search and rescue at the immediate areas hamper efforts.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo has instructed Philippine Ambassador to Havana Macarthur F.
Corsino to proceed to Haiti as soon as possible to coordinate the efforts of the task force.
Ambassador Corsino is also directed to present a plan of action for the repatriation of Filipinos who would want
to go back to Manila.
There are an estimated 462 Filipinos in Haiti, of which 290 are civilians and 172 are peacekeepers. The Filipino
civilians are mostly in the garments, telecommunication and power generation sectors. They mostly occupy
middle and upper management positions. There are also Filipino nuns and priests in Haiti. END
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RP Task Force Helping in Rescue and Relief Efforts in Haiti
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A task force within the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent in Haiti has been activated and is now doing search
and rescue, as well as relief efforts, for Filipinos living and working in the Caribbean nation.
To coordinate the task force’s ongoing efforts, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo has instructed
Philippine Ambassador to Havana Macarthur F. Corsino to form a team that will proceed to Haiti as soon as
possible.
“The task force consisting of our very own peacekeepers is already on the ground assisting our Filipino
kababayans in Haiti. Filipinos are helping each other there. Ambassador Corsino will coordinate with them and
our Honorary Consulate in Port-au-Prince so we can provide immediate assistance and relief efforts to the
Filipinos in Haiti,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban B.
Conejos said.
The Philippine Embassy in Havana clarified that there are only 290 Filipinos in Haiti, mostly in the garments,
telecommunication and power generation sectors. They mostly occupy middle and upper management
positions. There are also Filipino nuns and priests in Haiti.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti last January 12 resulting in widespread casualties.
Philippine peacekeepers were the first to rush to the collapsed UN headquarters and other buildings and are
now actively involved in the rescue operations.
Ambassador Corsino is also directed to present a plan of action for the repatriation of Filipinos who would want
to go back to Manila.
Meanwhile, communication links have been re-established with the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent.
10th Philippine Contingent Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lope C. Dagoy reported that 157 of its troops are
accounted for. Four Filipino peacekeepers are trapped in the collapsed United Nations building. Efforts are
being undertaken for their rescue.
One soldier, Sergeant Staff Bonifacio T. Pait of Tabuk, Calinga, is wounded but in stable condition.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through the AFP Peacekeeping Operation Center based in Camp O’
Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, has already contacted the families of the trapped AFP personnel.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Fuentes also reported that all 15 PNP
personnel who are members of the peacekeeping contingent are accounted for.
The DFA advises families of Filipinos in Haiti to contact the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers
Affairs (OUMWA) at 834-4996 for inquiries. Families of Filipino peacekeepers may contact the AFP
Peacekeeping Operations Center.
Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Hilario G. Davide, Jr. met with UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-Moon and expressed the Philippine Government’s condolences over the tragedy that left a number of UN
staff still unaccounted for.
Ambassador Davide also met and condoled with Ambassador Leo Merores, Permanent Representative of Haiti
to the United Nations. END
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Secretary Romulo tenders Farewell Dinner for Outgoing US Ambassador Kenney
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Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo (first photo, left) hosted a farewell dinner in honor of outgoing United
States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie A. Kenney last Monday at the Goldenberg Mansions.
During the dinner, Secretary Romulo lauded Ambassador Kenney’s significant achievements in strengthening
the relationship between the Philippines and the United States, notably the enhanced RP-US defense
partnership, increased exchange of visits of Philippine and US officials and the recognition of military service
and grant of benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.
Ambassador Kenney also facilitated the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last November 2009.
For her part, Ambassador Kenney assured Secretary Romulo of a sustained RP-US defense and security
partnership, especially on counterterrorism and the US continued support to the Mindanao peace process.
The United States’ first female ambassador in the country, Kenney was appointed as Ambassador to the
Philippines in 2006. She will make her farewell call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo shortly. END (Photo
by: Tony Bosa, Jr. DFA-PISU)
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RP Ambassador to U.S. Participates in 1st MCC Compact Development Roundtable for
Ambassadors
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Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa (4th from right) participated in the 1st Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact Development Roundtable for Ambassadors of Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
MCC Compact Eligible Countries. The Roundtable was hosted by MCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Daniel
Yohannes at the MCC CEO Conference Room.
The event was attended by ambassadors or representatives of MCC Compact Eligible countries for FY 2010
including the Philippines, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Zambia and Moldova, and discussed their respective
country’s progress in developing Compact proposals.
During the meeting, Ambassador Gaa expressed confidence that the Philippines’ Compact Agreement with
MCC will further strengthen the country’s governance institutions that will be beneficial in the long-term.
MCC CEO Yohannes reiterated both President Obama’s and Secretary of State and MCC Chairperson Hillary
Clinton’s support to the MCC process, a key element in the smart U.S. foreign assistance focused on good
policies, country ownership, and results. END
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DFA Secretary welcomes SWS Survey results, commends personnel for Job Well Done
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Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo welcomed the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that
indicated a “moderate” net satisfaction rating for the Philippine Government’s programs and activities in
promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Secretary Romulo likewise commended the officers and personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
and the Philippine Foreign Service, as well as its partners in the Department of Labor and Employment, the
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration for a job
well done.
The Foreign Affairs Secretary also cited the valuable contributions made by Vice President Noli de Castro in
looking after the conditions of overseas Filipinos.
This came in the light of the SWS survey conducted on 5-10 December 2009 which indicated that Filipinos are
moderately satisfied with how the government promotes the welfare of OFWs.
The +26 percent net satisfaction rating received by the government is significantly higher than the +23 percent
and +19 percent ratings received in June and September 2009, respectively.
“The survey result is a reflection of the solid commitment of the Arroyo Administration in protecting the rights and
promoting the welfare of our new heroes, the OFWs,” Secretary Romulo said.
In the same non-commissioned, face-to-face survey, the National Government also received high marks for
helping disaster victims (+51%), being prepared for calamities (+27%), ensuring that medicines are affordable
(+20%) and in helping the poor (+17%).
Secretary Romulo likewise said that the DFA is working tirelessly towards this end and considers assistance to
Filipino nationals as among the three pillars of the country’s foreign policy.
The other pillars are the preservation and enhancement of national security and the attainment of economic
security.
With its network of 83 embassies, consulates general and permanent missions, Secretary Romulo described
the DFA as “the department that never sleeps” particularly in its work to provide round-the-clock and pro-active
service to Filipinos in the country and overseas, prioritizing those caught in conflict and emergency situations.
Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, Jr. heads the DFA’s Migrant Workers Affairs Office which takes the lead in
attending to the needs of OFWs.
To expand political and economic relations with potential partners and further improve services to over eight
million Filipinos working and residing overseas, the DFA opened seven new foreign service posts, in
Damascus, Macau, Chongqing, Frankfurt, Dublin, Helsinki and Warsaw last year. The DFA also recently added
two more regional consular offices, in Baguio City and Batangas City, bringing the total number of DFA regional
offices to 18.
The DFA launched in August 2009 the Philippine ePassport, with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as guest of
honor. The issuance of the ePassport will facilitate the entry and exit of Filipinos to their places of work or
residence overseas.
Secretary Romulo and Development Bank of the Philippines Chairperson Patricia Sto. Tomas also led the soft
opening ceremony of DFA’s new state-of-the-art office building last January 11 which will soon house its
consular staff and operations.
The DFA also continues to negotiate for more comprehensive bilateral labor promotion and protection
agreements with other countries with sizeable deployments of Filipino workers.
“These initiatives symbolize the commitment of the DFA to provide a higher level of protection for and the best
possible service to our overseas Filipinos,” Secretary Romulo added. END
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RP Consul General in Saipan congratulates newly-elected CNMI Officials
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Philippine Consul General to Saipan Medardo G. Macaraig and his spouse, Mrs. Teresa Roselyn Macaraig,
joined other well-wishers in congratulating the newly-elected officials of the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands (CNMI).
Consul General Macaraig vowed to continue working with the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, members of
the Legislature, and the Mayor of Saipan for more progressive relations towards a better future for CNMI
residents and Filipino workers in the islands.
Governor Benigno Fitial and Lieutenant Governor Eloy Inos won last November’s runoff elections after a hard-
fought campaign.
They will be serving their second gubernatorial terms, which will run until January 2015.
This is only the second time an incumbent gubernatorial team won a re-election, the last one being in the
1980s.
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor were sworn into office in the afternoon of January 11 at the Saipan World
Resort Hotel. A People’s Ball was held at the Fiesta Resort and Spa in the evening of the same day.
In his inaugural speech, the Governor pledged to work with the U.S. government for the future of the CNMI. He
also indicated that he will work for the continued hiring of foreign workers to support the tourism-based
economy of the islands.
Leaders from the U.S. Federal Government and the neighbors of CNMI in the Pacific joined the inaugural
celebrations.
On hand to congratulate the new CNMI leaders were Palau President Johnson Toribiong, Guam Governor Felix
Camacho, CNMI representative to the US House of Representatives Hon. Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan, Chuuk
Lieutenant Governor Elimo Johnson of, and US Office of Insular Affairs’ Mr. Nik Pula.
The CNMI Legislature also held its organizational sessions in the morning of January 11. The Senate elected
the Hon. Paul A. Manglona as Senate President while the Hon. Froilan Tenorio was elected Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
Mayor Donald Glenn Pangelinan Flores was also sworn into office in short but meaningful ceremonies earlier
that morning. He vowed to pursue projects for the good of Saipan.
Last January 9 and 10, separate Red Masses were officiated by the highest official of the Catholic clergy in the
Northern Marianas Bishop Tomas A. Camacho of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. The mass on January 9 was
for the members of the CNMI Legislature and the Mayors of Saipan and Tinian while the Mass held the next day
was for the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor.
The Red Masses invoked the blessings of the Almighty for the CNMI’s newly-elected leaders as they embark on
their new terms of office. END
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