Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) groups in different parts of the world expressed their dismay over the report that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is planning to shut down 12 Philippine embassies and consulates overseas this year.

According to the chairman of Migrante International, Garry Martinez, the DFA’s plan to close a dozen Philippine embassies and consulates abroad is part of the austerity measures of the Aquino administration. The DFA made the announcement during their budget deliberations.

Martinez added, “The plan is to complete the closures by the end of 2012. They, however, refused to disclose which embassies or consulates are in danger of closing down.”

The Migrante chairman disclosed that the Philippine embassies and consulates in Barcelona, Saipan, Stockholm, Romania, Frankfurt, and Palau will be closed down this year.

A news report said that the Philippine Embassy in Barcelona and Palau will be closed in July of this year. However, according to Daniel Infante Tuaño, an OFW in Barcelona, no official of the consulate consulted them about the closure.

In an email interview done by Interaksyon.com, Tuaño said, “There was no consultation whatsoever, Ambassador Carlos Salinas visited the Filipino community in Barcelona and he regretfully announced that the Consulate has to be closed by the end of July. It is already final. The Filipino community in Barcelona mobilized and petitioned for the establishment of a full Consulate but now they decided to close it down without even consulting us. They were just informing us because the decision has already been taken.”

The situation is the same for OFWs in Palau. The Filipino Community in Palau (TFCP) said, “We were very surprised, worried and concerned because we do not understand the reasons. We cannot think how our government decided without even consulting us Filipinos in Palau.” As of this writing, there are about 5,000 Filipinos working in Palau.

Martinez also said that “Closing Philippine embassies and consulates abroad is like abandoning Filipinos abroad.”

Martinez also said that instead of closing down, the Philippine government should

add more offices abroad as there are shortages of Philippine embassies and consulates around the world.

Migrante informed that there are Filipinos in at least 239 countries around the world, but there are only 66 Philippine embassies, 23 consulates and four diplomatic missions worldwide.

Tuaño said, “Not only is it highly impractical but outright insensitive to the plight of our OFWs. We have a shortage of Philippine posts abroad as it is. It is unfortunate that the Aquino administration is assailing embassies and consulates, the very support system of our OFWs abroad, for its austerity measures and at the expense of welfare services for OFWs.”

“Spain is in economic crisis right now; some of our fellow countrymen also don’t have work; this is the worst time to abandon them,” said Tuaño. He added that closing the Philippine consulate might send a wrong signal to Filipinos. Their right to vote will also be affected.”

He added “They won’t encourage political participation through absentee voting with the closure. The first absentee voting held two years ago was a success here, it’s one of the posts in Europe with the highest voter turnouts. Noynoy won here, Drilon won here. If they close the consulate, and leave it to Madrid, people will rather not vote.”

It was reported that Senator Drilon supports the closure of Philippine embassies as it would help the government “save” more funds. The Senator said that the government will be able to save P100 million to P150 million if the closure push though.

Martinez though contradicts this by saying that closing down Philippine embassies and consulates just to save funds is irrational.

Filipino communities all over the world are determined to fight the closure of Philippine embassies. According to Migrante, Filipinos in Palau and Barcelona have started distributing petition letters while Filipinos in other parts of the world are already planning their protest actions.