Some 37 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will arrive in Manila on Monday, Oct. 14, after a series of Israeli airstrikes that caused massive destruction in the country’s southern part prompted President Marcos to order government agencies to “mobilize all resources” to move Filipinos out of harm’s way.
More overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) get repatriated from Lebanon as tensions rise in the Middle Eastern country. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office via Facebook)
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Saturday, Oct. 12, that the 37 Filipinos who left Beirut on the same day will arrive on Monday.
“Additionally, 37 more Filipinos are scheduled to depart from Beirut today, bound for Istanbul with the assistance of the Canadian government,” the statement posted on its Facebook page said.
“They are expected to arrive in Manila by Monday evening. The government continues to work tirelessly to bring more Filipinos home, ensuring their safety amidst the ongoing situation in the region,” it added.
Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat personally saw them off at the Beirut airport, while they were welcomed by Ambassador Henry Bensurto and Philippine Consulate officials upon their arrival in Istanbul.
According to the PCO, a total of 442 OFWs and 28 dependents have been repatriated from Lebanon as of Oct. 12.
This number includes the nine Filipinos who arrived in Manila on Sunday.
The latest arrivals of OFWs from Filipinos came amid the ongoing strife between Iran-backed and Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israel, which led to the Philippines raising Alert Level 3 in Lebanon in October 2023.
In a separate statement, the PCO said that 571 Filipinos have expressed willingness to be repatriated home. Of the number, 221 are ready for repatriation while 350 are being processed by the Lebanese immigration.
“So, patuloy lang ang ating effort (our efforts will continue). Of course, we are still considering the option of chartering by air or by sea but we will leave the details muna (first),” Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
“We’re still undertaking the preparations and we’re leaving the details for that matter or for a future announcement,” he added.
Last week, Marcos ordered the evacuation of Filipinos from Lebanon “by whatever means” as the government expects violence to intensify in the country.
It is, however, unclear if this meant raising the alert level to four, or mandatory repatriation.
There are 11,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, mostly in Beirut, with the majority working as domestic workers.