Negros Occidental gov creates help desk for Negros OFWs in Middle East

BACOLOD CITY –– Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered the creation of a help desk to assist Negrenses, who will be repatriated from the Middle East, following the tension between the United States and Iran.

Lacson said families of affected overseas Filipino workers could go to the provincial government for help.

“The help desk is being created should there be a need for assistance,” he said in an interview.

Lacson directed Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz to be on top of the situation.

Meanwhile, Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon called on the faithful to pray for peace in the Middle East.

The bishop instructed the commission on liturgy to formulate prayers that would be used in the parishes.

“The parishes are to include this intention for peace in the Middle East during the recitation of their prayers of the faithful at Mass,” said Fr. Roy Gesulgon, the diocese’s chancellor.

San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, on his part, stressed the need for prayers and dialog toward harmony.

“All people of goodwill should work together in this dangerous time to ensure that the wisdom of peace prevails,” he said in a separate interview.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma also echoed the need to ease tensions between warring countries.

“We still believe in sitting together and talking it out. But to be able to use weapons and, of course, resort to killings and threats of bombings of heritage and natural sites is certainly a madman’s approach to our relationship with nations,” he told reporters.

“I would like people to know that we are praying for them (world leaders) that they may be guided since we have learned a lesson in the past, and that war is a useless approach in dealing with our concerns with other nations,” he added.

On Wednesday, Iran fired missiles at Iraqi bases housing the U.S. military.

Iran’s attack was in response to the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whose death last Friday in a drone strike in Baghdad prompted angry calls for vengeance. With reports from Ador Mayol

Edited by LZB