MANILA, Philippines – All hands are on deck as the government prepares for the return of Filipinos from Malaysia following the conflict in Sabah.

On Tuesday, March 12, secretaries and officials of various government agencies gathered for a coordination meeting in Camp Crame to discuss how they could work together to accomplish the orders of President Benigno Aquino III — primarily to ensure the safety of returning Filipinos.

Government officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) told reporters about their respective efforts to assist refugees, as they expect the return of several thousands of Filipinos to the country.

Read: Sabah standoff puts OFWs at risk

“We don’t know when evacuees will flock back. For now, there are 1,500 who have returned. It’s possible that tomorrow, there will be 10,000 right away,” said DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.

DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said the 1,500 who have returned to Philippine shores in the past week have been provided with food packets and transportation fare, to assist in their travel back home.

She added there are teams in Lahad Datu, Sabah consisting of DSWD, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine National Police to check on Filipinos in evacuation centers there.

Returning to Sabah?

Soliman said it was not clear whether deportees would prefer to stay in the Philippines or return to Malaysia. She said the government would also help assist those who wanted to return to Sabah if possible, although those Rappler interviewed said it was difficult to find jobs in Malaysia because many of them are undocumented workers.

DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said they have job opportunities for refugees, although he did not expound on the reintegration program of his agency.

“For refugees, they don’t have to return to Malaysia. They can join our livelihood programs,” he said.

Alcala added his agency have started sending rice to Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, and will continue to do so to ensure sufficient stock.

DTI Undersecretary Zenaida Malaya said rice is the only basic necessity that they’ve seen has risen in price, based on their monitoring reports. The agency is expected to direct commercial vessels, if needed, to leave current routes to focus on delivering needs to affected sectors.

There are estimated 800,000 Filipinos Malaysia, mostly in Sabah. The government said they had monitored the arrival of thousands of Filipinos from Sabah since the start of the conflict last February 9.- Rappler.com