Lebanon OFWs seek return clearance

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Lebanon have called on the government to issue them Overseas Employment Certificates (OEC) that would allow them to briefly return home without being barred from returning to their jobs abroad.

In an interview on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Usapang OFW, the overseas Filipinos emphasized that while repatriation remains an option under the heightened alert levels, many of them are not seeking a permanent return.

“We really don’t plan to go home for good because we’re okay here. What we’re asking is to be given OECs again. We just want to take a short break and be able to return here [to Lebanon],” Catalina Lampago said.

Lampago, a househelp in Naccache, Antelias, who has worked in Lebanon for 23 years, and Jenny Lemosnero, a caregiver based in Nabatieh, South Lebanon, said they enjoy stable employment and fair working conditions.

They asked Usapang OFW to relay their plea to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Both assured that they remained safe despite the ongoing attacks by Israel on Lebanon.

While the sound of warplanes could occasionally be heard, they said not all areas of Lebanon were affected. Some workers have relocated to other places in the country as a precaution, but this did not mean losing their jobs.

They also highlighted that their employers continue to treat them well, with salaries and benefits consistently provided.