9 OFWs back from Lebanon

Nine overseas Filipino workers and five children, arrived in the Philippines on Thursday morning from Lebanon amid Israel's conflict with Hezbollah militants.

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

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

The DMW and OWWA provided the repatriates with on-site assistance and reintegration services. A total of 111 OFWs from Lebanon have been repatriated to the Philippines.

On 21 October, the Department of Foreign Affairs placed Lebanon under Alert Level 3 (voluntary repatriation for Filipinos) due to border skirmishes between the Israeli Defense Force and Hezbollah, a militant group that controls southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has been conducting sympathy attacks with Hamas against IDF forces near Lebanon's border. Hamas, last 7 October, breached Israel's border with Gaza, attacking and killing about 1,200 Israelites and other nationals.

Israel has since been pulverizing the Gaza Strip with air strikes and ground assaults, resulting in over 21,000 people killed.

Last 10 December the violence escalated on Lebanon's border with Israel, according to a Reuters report.

Hezbollah fired 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, before his urn was brought to Cabanatuan City.

Castelvi was among the four OFWs killed during the attacks launched by Hamas in southern Israel.

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