Nine repats arrived from Lebanon

Nine overseas Filipino workers from Lebanon arrived in the country on Thursday morning including five children amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The repatriates arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 via flight PAL PR685.

The Filipinos were welcomed by the Department of Migrant Workers Assistant Secretaries Venecio Legaspi and Francis Ron de Guzman, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration officers.

The DMW and OWWA provided assistance to the repatriates including on-site support and reintegration services.

To date, about 111 OFWs from Lebanon have been repatriated to the Philippines.

On 21 October, the Department of Foreign Affairs placed Lebanon under Alert Level 3 in light of the rising tension between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah due to Hamas attacks on which DFA calls for voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in affected areas.

On 10 December, violence escalated at Lebanon's border with Israel, according to a Reuters report.

Hezbollah sent explosive drones and powerful missiles at Israeli positions while Israeli air strikes rocked several towns and villages in south Lebanon.

Meanwhile, DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac visited the family of slain OFW Paul Vincent Castelvi at his wake in San Fernando Pampanga on Wednesday.

Castelvi's urn was transferred to Cabanatuan City.

Castelvi was among the four OFWs killed during the attacks launched by the militant group Hamas in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

Cacdac handed P50,000 to Castelvi's widow, Jovelle Santiago who arrived in the country on 23 December, bearing Castelvi's urn.