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'This venture will ensure that they are not illegal entrants and will entitle them to avail of legal employment when they go back to Sabah'
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Government officials met here Wednesday, March 27, and agreed to set up a one-stop center for people affected by the recent armed intrusion by a Filipino-Muslim clan in Kuala Lumpur’s Sabah state.
Javier Jimenez, chief of staff of Department of Social Welfare and Development, said the national government will launch on April 3 a one-stop-shop processing center in Taganak town in the province of Tawi-Tawi.
“This effort shows that the government is doing everything. This venture will ensure that they are not illegal entrants and will entitle them to avail of legal employment when they go back to Sabah,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez said more than 95,000 Filipinos are currently in Sabah without working permits, based on records.
He explained the one-stop processing center will be set up in Taganak along with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Labor and Employment, who will facilitate the issuance of legal documents for undocumented Filipinos.
More than 4,000 Filipinos have fled Sabah since the standoff in February.
“Right now we have 5 evacuation centers in Sulu and Tawi-tawi since the start of the conflict. Our ground workers continue to remain open to receive and provide counselling and debriefing services to other Filipinos who might still arrive,” he said.
For Filipinos who no longer wish to return to Sabah, Jimenez said the government will provide core shelters and cash-for-work program. – with reports from Jeoffrey Maitem/Rappler.com
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