Government to bring home 131 more OFWs from Lebanon this week
At least 131 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to arrive this week as part of the ongoing repatriation program for migrant workers who want to go home to escape the armed conflict in Lebanon, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Monday, Feb. 10.
Based on the repatriation arrangement, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the OFWs are expected to arrive in the country in two batches—52 OFWs with one dependent on Feb. 10 and 79 OFWs with eight dependents on Feb. 11.
“This is part of the Philippine government’s efforts to repatriate OFWs affected by the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Most of them were sheltered in Beirut under the auspices of the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration,” said Cacdac.
The DMW has started the repatriation program for OFWs in the conflict-torn areas in the Middle East since the attack on Israel in October 2023.
For Lebanon alone, the arrival of the 131 OFWs and their dependents will bring the total to 1,569 OFWs and 68 dependents who have safely returned from Lebanon through Philippine government on-site, shelter, repatriation, and post-arrival assistance.
Cacdac said the arrival of the new batches of repatriated OFWs was a result of the coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs-Philippine Embassy in Beirut.
“We stand continually ready to assist and support OFWs who wish to go home for safety and security,” Cacdac said.
He said all of those who would arrive will receive immediate financial and airport assistance and all the necessary support from the national government.
Cacdac said the DMW, through its National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), will also assist the OFWs for their upskilling and sustainable reintegration, including livelihood assistance or skills training enhancement for redeployment options.