Aileen Cerrudo • February 11, 2020 • 861

Elsie Lopez is an undocumented Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province in China.

After the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Elsie was fired by her employer due to health concerns. No other employer has hired her since then.

Kunshan City is among the cities in China that are on lockdown due to the virus outbreak. Elsie, along with the other OFWs in China who lost their jobs, have nothing to eat and have nowhere else to go.

Elsie said the Philippine Consulate advised them to wait until the situation returns to normal.

“Mahal na pangulo, natatakot po kami na hintayin maging okay ang lahat dahil wala na po kaming trabaho, walang pagkain, hindi kami makalabas ng gate, (Our beloved president, we are afraid of waiting until everything is okay. We have no job, no food and we cannot leave the gate),” she said.

The UNTV News and Rescue already raised Elsie’s situation to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and is still waiting for a response.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said the government is prepared to assist Filipinos in China, based on the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“As soon as we get any request for repatriation, we will respond to that request,” according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

Last weekend, 30 Filipinos were repatriated from Wuhan City, Hubei Province and are now under quarantine in New Clark City, Athlete’s Village in Capas, Tarlac.—AAC (with reports from Dulce Alarcon)