The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) plans to repatriate around 1,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Lebanon by the end of the year, as violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continues to escalate.
On Sunday evening, a group of 76 OFWs from Beirut was expected to arrive in Manila, raising the total number of returning workers to 668.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac revealed in a radio interview that around 250 to 300 OFWs remain in Lebanon, with 100 to 150 applications currently being processed by Lebanese immigration authorities. This number represents only 10% of the estimated 11,000 Filipinos residing in the country.
Returning OFWs will receive financial assistance amounting to P150,000 from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which is expected to help them transition as they return home. The financial aid is equivalent to about four to six months of wages for domestic workers.
Meanwhile, around 200 Filipinos are currently being housed in four shelters in Beirut managed by the DMW.
