SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto sought the allocation of a “contingency fund” that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) can use to rescue Filipinos in countries with brewing crisis situations. Recto said the budget of the Philippine embassy in Seoul should be increased especially at a time when tensions in the Korean peninsula are high. Recto said the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Fund of P400 million for 2017 is not enough. On top of the P400 million, there is a P100 million Legal Assistance Fund for Overseas Filipino Workers in trouble with the law in their host countries. There are 65,000 Filipinos in South Korea and another 42,835 in Guam.

Source: Manila Times August 13, 2017 17:37 UTC