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500 OFWs in Lebanon set to return home; gov't studies more evacuation plans

Some 500 stranded Filipino workers from strife-torn Lebanon are expected to come home in batches in the next few days, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said.

According to Foreign Affairs spokesman Gilberto Asuque, the Philippine government is exploring more measures on how to transport the Filipinos back to the Philippines.

Currently, 212 Filipinos have already been moved to Damascus, Syria, from the Philippine relocation center at the Church of Miraculous Medal in Sassine, Lebanon.

The figures are expected to increase as more Filipinos caught in the escalating conflict between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants have already expressed their desire to go home.

“They will be repatriated either through a chartered airline or they could take a commercial flight back. The government will shoulder all the expenses,” Asuque said.

More than 1,600 Filipinos have already registered with the embassy in the event of mass evacuation.

Majority of the 30,000 Filipino workers in Lebanon, who are located far from the conflict areas, however, have opted to stay with their employers.

“Those staying at the relocation centers are definitely coming home. We are already making the travel arrangements,” the DFA official added.

Asuque said the department has yet to receive confirmed reports of Filipinos being hurt from Lebanese-Israeli hostilities that erupted early this month.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, for his part, also yesterday said the government will continue exploring more measures to help facilitate evacuation of Filipinos trapped in Beirut.

“We already alerted the Philippine Air Force regarding possible use of its C-130 planes for the massive evacuation operation,” he added.

The Palace official stressed the DFA is studying to bring out the overseas Filipino workers via the Beirut-Cyprus sea route.

“Government will do all it can to evacuate our countrymen safely as President Arroyo said we shouldn't count the cost involved,” Ermita assured.

The trapped OFWs are being brought out of Beirut to Damascus via minor roads since DFA confirmed the main highway linking both capitals is already destroyed due to heavy bombings throughout the past days.

“It usually takes about an hour to travel between both cities using the main highway but since they're taking alternate roads to reach Damascus, travel time has been stretched to some 10 hours,” he said.

Meanwhile, livelihood training, possible redeployment and placement to jobs locally are some of the reintegration programs that await the returning OFWs from Lebanon.

“There will be livelihood training for those who would not want to go back and local employment as well,” Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said.

He added the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will administer the livelihood training for returning Filipino workers and the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) will handle the possible placement for local jobs for those who would want to work here in the country.

“The BLE, an agency of Department of Labor and Employment, will help our OFWs from Lebanon to find the suitable local work for them should they wish to work here,” Brion stressed.

He, however, could not confirm if the government could handle the local employment for the estimated 30,000 Filipino workers in Lebanon caught in the armed conflict between the Israelis and the Hezbollah.

Besides the livelihood training, Brion said OWWA will also release soft loans for the repatriated OFWs that were active members of the agency.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration chief Rosalinda Baldoz said repatriated OFWs could still continue their employment contract as long as their employers signify intention to hire them after the crisis.

She added all they have to do is to contact their recruitment agencies in Manila to communicate with their principals in Lebanon. Michaela P. del Callar, Marie Surbano and PNA

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