59 OFWs seek Lebanon exit

At least 59 Filipinos in Lebanon have expressed a desire to be repatriated amid the escalating tension between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon said Monday.

Hezbollah is another Islamist militant group that controls the southern part of Lebanon. It has launched rockets into the northern part of Israel, which has fired back.

"On Sunday morning, when we held our meeting with Filipino community leaders, we received 59 applications," Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat said in a television interview.

This developed as the Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, placed Lebanon under Alert Level 3, or voluntary repatriation.

According to the DFA, there are an estimated 17,500 Filipinos in Lebanon, 67 of them residing on its southern border.

Balatbat said only three of the 67 Filipinos on the southern border have asked to be repatriated.

Since the surprise attack by the Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist group Hamas on Israel on 7 October, which left 1,400 Israelis dead, scores of foreigners have also been killed, including four Filipinos.

Meanwhile, a total of 24 overseas Filipino workers, comprising the third batch of repatriates from Israel, arrived Monday afternoon at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

The repatriates — 21 women and three men — came from Israel via Abu Dhabi on board Etihad Airways flight EY424.

Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac assured all the repatriates of support from the government to ease their displacement and facilitate their reintegration.

Two Filipinos shared on Monday their traumatizing experience during the attack of Hamas in Israel.

Tersita Malapo, 35, of Baao, Camarines Sur, a caregiver for eight years, said she and other Filipinos were about to go to church when they heard a siren.

"On Saturday morning, we were about to go to church in Jerusalem because we go to church every day off. Suddenly, we heard a siren. After a while, there was news that rockets were being launched from Palestine. We were so shocked," Malapo said.

She said that because of the bombings a loud noise like the banging of a door made her nervous.

"That feeling that you always hear something, your feeling of nervousness is increasing. When a door slams, you think something has exploded. In Israel, there is an explosion anytime of the day. It explodes even without a siren. When there's a bombing, our house and bomb shelter vibrates," she said.

Gerald Caniban, 35, of Iloilo City, a caregiver for five years, said he was asleep when he heard the sirens.

"It was an overwhelming experience. I was in Tel Aviv that morning. I was sleeping with my girlfriend when we heard the alert on my phone. It was Saturday, our day-off. After a few minutes, we heard sirens all over Tel Aviv," Caniban said.

He said he did not have peace of mind and described the situation as a terrible nightmare.