DSWD welcomes 244 Lebanon OFWs

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said it has assisted another batch of Filipino repatriates from Lebanon who arrived in the Philippines on Saturday amid the escalating conflict between the Lebanese militant group and Israel.

A total of 244 overseas Filipinos (OFs) and their 36 dependents were welcomed by personnel of DSWD’s Field Office (FO)-National Capital Region (NCR) under its “airport salubong” project, together with other national government agencies, upon their arrival via chartered flight from Beirut, Lebanon to Manila.

Under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, 232 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and 12 OFs each received P10,000 in cash aid along with an additional P10,000 in food assistance.

The DSWD social workers also conducted interviews to assess the status and needs of the repatriates, including their psychosocial condition as they came from ravaging tensions in Lebanon.

“Under a whole-of-government approach as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the DSWD will continue to monitor the situation of our repatriates with other government agencies. We are also ready to provide other augmentation support if deemed necessary,” DSWD FO-NCR Regional Director Michael Joseph Lorico said.

In addition to support from the DSWD, the repatriates received financial aid of P75,000 from the Department of Migrant Workers and another P75,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The 26 October arrival brings the total of repatriated OFWs to 1,772, 57 OFs and 176 dependents since President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies last 9 October to mobilize all available resources for the swift repatriation of Filipinos from conflict-ridden Lebanon.