According to Senator Raffy Tulfo, more than 200,000 Filipinos in Taiwan have shelters that can be used in the event of an attack from China. According to Tulfo, who heads the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, he got this information from Cheloy Garafil, the chairperson and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan.
According to the report, China has sent its army, navy, air, and rocket forces around Taiwan to conduct drills that Beijing says are intended to prepare for a blockade of the island. Taiwan seceded from China in 1949 after the communists under Mao Zedong took over mainland China.
Tulfo said that according to Garafil, there are 80,000 shelters in Taiwan that can accommodate up to 40 million people—more than Taiwan's total population of 23 million and more than 200,000 Filipinos, including migrant workers, professionals, and data-end="1346">student.
Garafil assured that shelters are located in various parts of Taiwan and there is an online application where people can find the nearest shelter. Garafil added that exit points have been identified and all transportation are ready to conduct evacuations and bring Filipinos back to the Philippines.
On April 1, AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said that soldiers on the northern frontier of the Philippines should prepare in case of an invasion of Taiwan. "We will carry out the rescue them—and this will be the job of the Northern Luzon Command," Brawner said.
