DFA Announces Deadline for Gulf War Claims
24 May 2006

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has announced that the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) Governing Council in Geneva, during its 56^th Session, has set 30 September 2006 as the final deadline in locating and paying Gulf War claimants who had been affected by the 1990 Iraq-Kuwait war and with approved claims  from the UNCC.

Philippine Claims and Compensation Committee Secretariat (PCCCS) Secretary General Minda C. Cruz said that, based on PCCCS records, there are still Gulf War claimants who have not coordinated with PCCCS despite efforts to reach them through mail, saturation drives within the Philippines and abroad and assistance of Philippine Foreign Service Posts. She said the PCCCS now calls on these claimants to coordinate with the office at the soonest possible time.

“These claimants must coordinate with PCCCS before the set deadline because, after 30 September 2006, UNCC will no longer entertain Philippine government requests for the return of funds to be paid to the applicants whose claims have already been approved by the UNCC,” said Secretary General Cruz.

She added that the “PCCCS now calls on all OFWs who were affected by the war in Iraq and Kuwait in 1990 and who have claims approved by the UNCC to call the office at telephone number 832-5303, or visit us at the 3^rd Floor of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City so that they can find out if they are included in the UNCC list of approved claims.”

In Hong Kong, the Philippine Consulate General would like to appeal to the following 24 OFWs to contact the PCCCS or the Consulate’s ATN section to process their claims:

6/F United Ctr, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, H.K.       Tel : 2823-8500 / 2823-8501     Fax :  2866-9885 / 2866-8559