DMW: 4th batch of repatriated Filipinos from Israel arriving Monday

A fourth batch of repatriated Filipinos from Israel, composed of 32 hotel workers, 28 caregivers and 59 other workers plus four infants, are scheduled to arrive in the country by Monday, according to Department of Migrant Workers officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac.

In a news forum on Saturday, Cacdac said the Philippines will be sending more teams to Israel to work on the rescue and repatriation of Filipinos affected by the armed conflict between the Israeli government and the Hamas militant group in Israel.

He said an augmentation team will be particularly deployed to southern Israel near the Gaza border as most overseas Filipino workers have been brought to much safer ground away from the war-torn area.

Cacdac said the Israel-Gaza border was declared a 'No Entry Zone' by the IDF. He did not give further details as to the locations of rescue areas where the OFWs have been taken.

"We also want to respect the security and the privacy of our OFWs na dinadala sa (were brought to) safer grounds," he said.

"But rest assured our Labor Attaché and Welfare Officer are visiting the area at may augmentation team tayong paalis – DMW and OWWA. November 2 may augmentation team that will augment our current personnel on the ground," he added.

Citing the latest DMW records, Cacdac said the families of around 770 Filipinos have contacted the Philippine government's helplines to locate their relatives working and residing in Israel, with 768 of the workers now accounted for while two are still missing.

"The Philippine government has already coordinated with Israeli Defense Forces to locate those who remain unaccounted," he added.

Cacdac also bared that 124 OFWs in Lebanon have already sought repatriation amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"The government is already working to send home the first batch of OFWs from that country," he said.