Ambassador Nestor Z. Ochoa and other Philippine Embassy officials and staff, accompanied by concerned members of the Filipino Community in Brunei, visited and provided goods to Filipino workers affected by a fire that consumed their staff house.

Ambassador Nestor Z. Ochoa was accompanied by Labor Attaché Ana C. Dione, Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Carlos B. Cepe, Mr. Albert Lee, manager of SKH, and Ms. Rose Cortez of SKH.

On 27 October 2012, a fire destroyed the TNC staff house located at km 34.1 KEM 7 Jerudong. A total of 14 OFWs lost all their possessions in the blaze that local authorities have blamed to faulty electrical wiring.

The workers have since been relocated to a temporary staff house by their employer, TNC Sdn. Bhd.

The group donated five sets of two burner gas stoves complete with gas tank, regulator and hose, rice cookers, sets of casserole pots, utensils, toothpaste, boxes of noodles, sacks of rice, and used clothing which was collected through donations made by the Philippine Embassy, the Filipino Association in Brunei, and members of the Filipino Community in Brunei Darussalam.

During a simple gathering with the affected workers, Ambassador Ochoa emphasized the bayanihan spirit among Filipinos who pull together in difficult times. He emphasized that the Philippine Embassy will be ready to extend all possible assistance to the Filipino workers affected by the blaze. END