Lebanon OFWs’ evac options being weighed

The continuous cancellation of flights has been delaying the Philippine government’s repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Lebanon amid strikes by Israel against Hezbollah, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday.

Fifteen Filipinos were initially set to leave Lebanon on 25 September, but their flights were canceled following explosions in Beirut. The DMW said their departure is expected next week, barring further disruptions.

“Three among the batch (one with a medical condition) are rescheduled to go home first, while the remaining 12 OFWs will join the other 17 OFWs who are set for repatriation on 22 October,” the DMW said.

The DMW noted that some offices in Beirut have suspended operations, delaying the immigration clearances for over 100 OFWs.

But 63 workers who had completed their documentation are awaiting flights to be coordinated by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Beirut. Despite being near the recent bombings in Dahieh, a Beirut suburb, the OFWs were confirmed to be safe and had been relocated.

“All OFWs were safe from the recent attacks and were immediately transferred to a hotel in Beit Mery for temporary shelter in much safer grounds,” the agency said.

Sixteen other OFWs are staying in a rented facility in Beit Mery as a precaution.

In total, 430 OFWs and 28 dependents have been repatriated with the assistance of the DMW and other agencies.

A contingency plan remains in place to safeguard the remaining OFWs as the situation develops.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the government is considering the use of the country’s air, land, and sea assets to evacuate the OFWs.

Olalia said the government is also preparing for the use of land and sea routes as alternative travel options amid the possibility that entry and exit points in Beirut will be closed.

“The DMW is working around the clock to provide the safest possible route to evacuate the OFWs, not just in Lebanon but also in Israel,” he said.

Olalia said the repatriated OFWs will receive P150,000 in financial assistance from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.