CFO: PH Schools In Middle East Safe Amid Hostilities
Photo courtesy: Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
MANILA — All Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs) in Middle Eastern territories affected by the escalating conflict involving Iran remain safe and operational, citing some schools also have shifted to online classes, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) announced Monday.
“We’re closely monitoring the situation of our PSOs and we have advised them to heed the advisories of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), especially those concerning safety and security,” CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II said in a statement.
CFO has coordinated check-calls with the school administrators across the region, which has confirmed that their students, faculty, and facilities remain unaffected by the current hostilities.
The CFO said it will remain in "constant monitoring mode," working in close coordination with the DFA and the DMW to provide real-time updates to families in the Philippines who have relatives enrolled or employed in these overseas institutions.
A total of 27 PSOs are located in the Arabian Gulf region. These institutions serve approximately 25,000 students at various levels, from pre-elementary to high school, and about 1,000 teachers, administrators, and school personnel.
Currently, 35 PSOs operate across 11 countries: Bahrain, East Timor, Cambodia, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
CFO, which provides policy guidance and technical assistance to PSOs, said these schools are considered more than academic centers, but "extensions of the motherland."
By maintaining direct communication with school boards during crises, the commission fulfills its role as a primary advocate for the diaspora, ensuring the social and educational stability of Filipino families is preserved even in volatile environments.
PSOs are duly registered educational institutions operating outside the Philippines. They must comply with regulations from both the Philippine government and their respective host countries, specifically implementing the basic education curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Moreover, the CFO’s proactive outreach serves as a critical pulse check on the safety of the Filipino academic community during this period of heightened geopolitical tension.
Monitoring these institutions aligns with the CFO's core mission and mandate to strengthen enduring ties between overseas Filipinos and the motherland while ensuring their welfare globally.
Meanwhile, the CFO, established under Batas Pambansa 79, is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of Filipinos permanently residing abroad. It is distinct from the Department of Migrant Workers, which primarily addresses the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and other temporary migrants.
The CFO, which is an agency under the Office of the President, works to strengthen the social, economic, and cultural ties of global Filipinos with their home country. Its primary stakeholders include Filipino permanent migrants, dual citizens, spouses and partners of foreign nationals, individuals under the Exchange Visitor Program, au pair participants bound for Europe, and Filipino descendants overseas.
