131 more Pinoys arriving from Lebanon
A total of 131 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Lebanon affected by the ongoing geopolitical tensions will return to Manila this week, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said on Monday that 52 OFWs and one dependent were scheduled to arrive on Feb. 10 while the rest were expected to come home the following day.
Most of the repatriates were sheltered in Beirut under the care of the DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), the department said in a statement.
“President Marcos gave clear directives to help our kababayan, our OFWs, affected by the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. We stand continually ready to assist and support OFWs who wish to go home for safety and security,” Cacdac said.
Those arriving will receive immediate financial and airport assistance and the necessary support from government agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs, DMW-Owwa, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The DMW, through its National Reintegration Center for OFWs, will also help them with their upskilling and sustainable reintegration, including livelihood assistance or skills training enhancement, for redeployment options.
The latest batch of repatriates will bring to a total of 1,569 OFWs and 68 dependents those who have safely returned from Lebanon through the Philippine government’s on-site, shelter, repatriation and post-arrival assistance since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023.
Lebanon is still under crisis Alert Level 3 status, with the Philippine Embassy in Beirut continuously processing voluntary repatriation applications.
Under the current alert level, the embassy said its processing of Balik-Manggagawa applications and the return of contract workers to Lebanon were temporarily suspended until the improvement of the situation in Lebanon.
