13 December 2010 - Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Luis T. Cruz continues to give assurance that the situation in Korea remains stable. "Filipinos in South Korea are on Alert Level 1, simply meaning that they have to exert extra effort to know what is going on," he said.

"Schools, businesses and government offices are all open and operate normally," he added.

The protection and promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos is a key pillar of Philippine Foreign Policy. All Philippine embassies and consulates therefore have a contingency plan that can be put in place in case of emergencies such as natural disasters or civil unrest.

The Contingency Plan, which a team from the Philippines led by Gen. Roy Cimatu recently reviewed and made even more relevant, is regularly updated.

The team also met with members of the Filipino Community to assess their working conditions and their preparedness in case of emergencies.