20 Pinoys back from Lebanon

Twenty overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated from Lebanon over the past week as the Philippine government continues its efforts to bring home its citizens amid the rising tensions in the region.

The first batch of three OFWs arrived in the Philippines on Friday, 11 October, followed by two more batches of nine and eight workers who arrived on 12 and 13 October, respectively.

According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), this brought the total to 450 Filipinos repatriated since the government’s voluntary repatriation program began in October of last year, when Israel and Hamas went to war.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac confirmed that 254 OFWs are expected to return by the end of October, with flights scheduled between October 14 and 28. He noted that 300 more applications for repatriation are currently awaiting approval by Lebanese authorities.

“Approximately 500 we know wish to return to the Philippines,” Cacdac said.

The situation in Lebanon remains tense, with UN peacekeepers warning of a potential regional conflict as Israeli forces continue to clash with Hezbollah and Hamas militants.

On 12 August, Israeli airstrikes on two villages near Beirut killed nine people, though there were no reported casualties among Filipinos.

Despite the escalating tensions, Lebanon remains under Alert Level 3, allowing Filipinos to repatriate voluntarily.