|
|
|
President
Arroyo considers
Iraq
a priority for the
Philippines
.
|
Rebirth. Second chances. A time to
rebuild: This is Iraq
after the war, the task at hand for the Iraqi people. While the
war has been declared officially over, the task of rebuilding
post-war Iraq
is now in the hands of not only the Iraqi people but also the
rest of the world.
Rebuilding
Iraq
Bringing life back to normal in
Iraq
cannot be done overnight. From the shattered buildings, ruined
monuments and grubby streets, one can easily see how hard it
will be to bring back the Iraq
that was. Aside from the changes in the landscape caused by the
war, the institutions that once ruled the country no longer
exist (Interim provisional institutions have been established to
govern Iraq until the country can once again stand on its own).
The level of living in the country has also been affected. The
security situation is still uncertain; and so much is left to be
taken care of. The task is to look simultaneously into the
health conditions of the people and their residential and
educational concerns. As for the economy of the country,
business facilities have to be rebuilt; Iraq’s economy has to be reestablished.
As
hard as the task may seem, Iraq is little by little catching up.
Shortly after the war was announced officially over, many
countries showed their support and willingness to participate in
the reconstruction and development of post-war Iraq. Aid, humanitarian and military assistance, and other efforts
toward the stabilization of the conditions of life in Iraq
have come from all over the world. Countries who had long had
relations with Iraq
have come back and made their presence stronger. The
Philippines, for one, with its longstanding history with Iraq, is one of the visible forces in the reconstruction process.
OFWs and More…
Since the 1980s, the Middle East, Iraq
included, has always been on the top list of destinations for
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The country’s work force has
been in demand in the region, especially in the fields of
construction and health. Of the eight million Filipinos working
abroad, 1.5 of them are residing in the
Middle East. When the war erupted, many Iraq-based Filipinos had to return
home due to security reasons, leaving behind their jobs and, for
many, their homes, as they had worked there for more than a
decade.
After the war is over, the Philippines is very keen to develop its relations with
Iraq. It aims to restore the safety of human beings and the
stability of the Iraqi government and businesses. The Philippines, a country who also had to rise up from the ruins of two world
wars, is willing to help in the rebuilding of the Iraqi nation.
Task Force
Iraq
Shortly after the end of the war, the Philippine government
formed the Public-Private
Sector Task Force for the Reconstruction and Development of Iraq.
Also known as Executive Order 194, its mission is to coordinate
the Philippines’ participation in the rebuilding of
Iraq, concentrating on the quality and productivity of the Filipino
workforce.
The Task Force markets the Philippine contractors, manpower and
service providers, and assists them in building business
relations with their foreign counterparts. In building those
ties, the Task Force hopes to engage the Filipino companies as
subcontractors for projects that arise from the reconstruction
of Iraq. The Task Force will facilitate the execution of projects of
companies that will be contracted by fast-tracking necessary
government approval, so as to expedite the companies’
mobilization and deployment. Given the Philippine workforce’s
experience in the region and their longstanding relationship
with certain Iraqi companies, the government is confident of the
value its workforce has.
So
far, the Task Force has accredited over 150 of the best
companies in the Philippines; these companies will represent full range of
expertise and skills, which are necessary for the reconstruction
effort. The 150 companies are ready to mobilize when the need
arises and as they are required. They are listed online at www.engagephilippines.com
where companies can do business with them. The site allows its
visitors to view the profiles of the companies and contact them.
Humanitarian Mission
The
Philippines has also deployed humanitarian missions to Iraq, contributing to the efforts of the international community
to revive the lives of the Iraqi people. Soldiers, police and
doctors comprised the mission. The mission will be involved in
the civic and community-related missions in Iraq. They will also be involved with training local police and
rebuilding infrastructure.
The Philippine team is under the command of the international
coordinator of the mission, Poland. Also in the team are contingents from
Ukraine, Latvia
and other countries that belong to the “coalition of the
willing” that backed the US-led invasion.
Mission: Iraq
There are more efforts from the rest of the world. The
Philippines
is doing its part. There is a world that exists after the war.
There are human beings who are in need of our help. There is a
country that is rising from the ruins of war. We are supporting
Iraq
in rebuilding itself again. We want to help so much. We are
sending our own.
Joyce
Loanzon Reyes is a graduate of AB International Studies,
Miriam College,
Philippines. She was editor-in-chief of Issues Magazine, the
college’s departmental magazine, and was president of the
International Studies Society during her senior year. She
attended the Model United Nations of the
Far West
in San Francisco,California, USA
for her college practicum. She is a freelance writer and is
presently working with the Public-Private Sector Task Force for
the Reconstruction of Iraq, under the Office of the President of the Republic of the
Philippines
.
|
