The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced that 151 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in war-torn Lebanon are scheduled to be repatriated in the coming weeks. This move is part of the government’s efforts to bring home OFWs from conflict zones in the Middle East, according to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
“We are also processing around 235 OFWs who are still within the Lebanese immigration system. The situation is fluid, so we are continuously helping those who wish to return,” Cacdac said during a press briefing in Mandaluyong City.
The repatriation will take place in batches via commercial flights from October 11 to 28. Cacdac emphasized that the safety of Filipinos in affected areas, including Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza, is a priority under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directives.
Cacdac noted that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have already evacuated approximately 2,000 OFWs from Northern Israel, placing them in safer locations.
As tensions escalate between Lebanon and Israel, many OFWs have moved to shelters in Beirut. “We have three shelters with about 107 Filipinos, and for security reasons, we won’t disclose their locations,” he added. Most of those in the shelters are waiting to be repatriated, although some Filipinas married to Lebanese nationals, along with their families, are seeking temporary shelter without plans for immediate repatriation.
Interest in voluntary repatriation has increased as bombing intensifies in the area, which remains under Alert Level 3.
Since last year, the DMW, along with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has repatriated 430 individuals from Lebanon, including 28 dependents. Cacdac also assured that all 21 OFWs in the West Bank are safe and accounted for.
Despite the conflict, Migrant Workers Offices in the region remain operational to assist OFWs.
