Fierce fighting in the troubled Middle East between Israel and its neighbors that included airstrikes in Gaza and Beirut resulted in numerous fatalities but the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there remain safe.

In a forum on Saturday, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said no Filipinos have been reported among the casualties.

Repatriation efforts are ongoing, with over 500 Filipinos in Lebanon opting to return home voluntarily under Alert Level 3.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been constrained to order a mandatory evacuation under Level 4 due to the opposition of the OFWs.

Several repatriation flights were canceled amid the worsening conflict. Flights are expected to resume between 12 and 28 October.

There are around 11,000 Filipinos currently residing in Lebanon, most of them in Beirut.

Deadliest blitz so far

The latest air assaults by the Israeli army on Beirut on 10 October were described as the deadliest thus far in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, hitting densely populated areas and resulting in 22 fatalities and 117 injuries.

“At present, we haven’t heard of any Filipino hurt in the attacks in Lebanon, whether in southern Lebanon or in Beirut. By God’s grace we hope that it will stay that way,” Cacdac said.

In an advisory yesterday, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut said the latest air strikes “heightened concerns” for civilian safety amid the ongoing military operations.

It advised all Filipino nationals to avoid affected areas, particularly Ras al-Nabaa and Noueiri.

Cacdac said the majority of Filipinos in Lebanon lived and worked in the capital city.

Pinoys arrive home

Nine Filipinos arrived yesterday from Lebanon under the government’s repatriation program.

The exit papers of the remaining 350 Filipinos are being processed by the Philippine Embassy.

Cacdac said at least 178 Filipinos are housed in shelters and hotels across Lebanon.

The latest batch of repatriates received P75,000 each in financial aid from the DMW Aksyon (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan) fund and P75,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development likewise gave livelihood assistance worth P20,000 while the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority distributed skills training vouchers.

The repatriation brings to 442 the total number of repatriates, along with 28 dependents, from Lebanon since October 2023.