October 7, 2024
MANILA – Around 151 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Lebanon are expected to return to the Philippines starting Oct. 11 as Israel continues to intensify its airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah strongholds.
A series of nine flights will be available from Oct. 11 to Oct. 28 as commercial airlines in Beirut resume operations, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said in an interview with TeleRadyo on Sunday.
The continued cancellation of outbound flights by major airlines due to recent explosions in Beirut had delayed the repatriation of 15 OFWs who were originally scheduled to return to the Philippines on Sept. 25.
Last week, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced that three people in this group, including one with medical condition, would return home on Oct. 11, while the remaining 12 would join 17 others set for repatriation on Oct. 22, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
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According to Cacdac, 430 OFWs and 28 dependents have so far returned to Manila since October last year when hostilities flared between Israel and Gaza.
If the 151 OFWs come home as scheduled, the total number of repatriated Filipino workers will rise to around 600.
As of Oct. 2, over 100 OFWs are awaiting clearance from immigration authorities in Lebanon before they can be scheduled for repatriation, according to DMW records.
Cash aid, medical care
All repatriated Filipino workers from Beirut will be entitled to P150,000 in cash assistance from the DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Cacdac said.
Since most of them are domestic helpers, the P150,000 will cover four to six months of their wages, he added.
In addition to the financial aid, repatriated OFWs will also receive immediate medical attention from the Department of Health, livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and skills training vouchers from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Other assistance
Cacdac said that livelihood training offered by the government included tourism-related businesses such as culinary projects, Airbnb management, operating souvenir shops and tour guide training.
“I think [the P150,000] is sufficient to support them while they are training and looking for jobs with facilitation services, which include options in the overseas job market, although [we are] primarily focused on local job market options,” he said.
In a press briefing organized by Migrante International on Sept. 29, OFWs caught in the escalating violence in Lebanon appealed to President Marcos for immediate repatriation, expressing frustration over what they perceived as a sluggish government response.
Many concerns come from undocumented workers lacking proper visas or permits, as well as those whose passports were being withheld by their employers—a circumstance pointed out by the United Nations itself.
‘Assert desire to leave’
Over the weekend, Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said the Department of Foreign Affairs could issue travel documents to OFWs without passports.
While securing exit clearances for those whose employers refuse to release them may be complicated, De Vega said the government was willing to assist in paying any penalties.
“I already gave instructions to the Ambassador (Raymond Balatbat) to assert the desire of Filipinos to leave, including those whose Lebanese employers have refused to release them. We will pay whatever needs to be paid in terms of their exit clearances. So, we’ll find a way,” De Vega said at a news forum on Saturday.
Alert level 3 currently remains in effect in Lebanon, allowing Filipinos to opt for voluntary repatriation. They may register at tinyurl.com/2024Repatriation, or reach out to the embassy for any concerns or assistance via 70 858 086 or through the Migrant Workers Office hotline: 79 110 729.