$100M remittances lost due to workers ban in Iraq

[Judi Lynn]

Tuesday, August 3, 2004 4:03 PM


$100M remittances lost due to workers ban in Iraq

The Philippines could lose as much as $100 million in remittances after the government banned the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq last month, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said Tuesday.

The government imposed the ban after truck driver Angelo de la Cruz was abducted by Iraqi militants. He was freed after President Arroyo agreed to pull out Filipino troops from Iraq.

POEA said the ban has left at least 6,000 jobs reserved for Filipinos vacant, translating to an estimated $102.48 million in wages the workers would have sent home.
(snip)

In her State of the Nation last July 26, President Arroyo vowed to protect the interests of the country's estimated eight million overseas workers, 1.5 million of whom are based in the Middle East.
(snip/...)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/FlashNewsStory.aspx?FlashOID=18996

[Nambe]

1. What a foreign concept! A president with a conscience.

When the Philippines stops cow-towing to the American dollar, you know something is terribly wrong. Most of the experts say Iraq is about to explode and the rest of the world is listening. When the Kurds start retaliating like the extremists are, Iran and Turkey will be drug in and we will get out butts kicked. So they say.

[gatlingforme]

2. Good point , the Turks do not want the Kurds to have any power

at all in Iraq. I think this whole thing will boil over to major civil war. with other countries getting involved

[Disturbed]

3. Kudos to President Arroyo

Lives more important than money. The cynical side: A good thing to do to get re-elected.