MORE overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Lebanon have availed of the government’s voluntary repatriation program and set to return home this weekend, according to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said there are 334 OFWs from Lebanon who are expected to arrive in the Philippines this November, including 50 OFWs, and another 45 OFWs with five dependents who are set to fly home today, November 8 and 9, 2024.
Also, there are 214 OFWs who are waiting for their repatriation due to pending approval from the Lebanese immigration.
“Yung report na walang nasaktan o nasawing Pilipino sa hidwaan dun, still stands and we hope it stays that way. We continue our sheltering, repatriation, and monitoring of the situation on the ground,” Cacdac said.
Undersecretary for Foreign Employment and Welfare Services Felicitas Q. Bay reported that since October 2023, there are 935 OFWs and 47 dependents from Lebanon who were repatriated through the joint efforts of the DMW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The DMW recorded the biggest number of repatriates last October 26, 2024 with 233 OFWs and 13 dependents returning in the country via government arranged chartered flight.
On the other hand, 972 OFWs with 28 dependents in Israel were safely repatriated by the government, of which 84 of them were repatriated last October 30, 2024.
“We are hoping and praying that the situation will improve and peace will prevail in that part of the world,” Cacdac said.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary Bay continued to encourage overstaying OFWs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avail of the amnesty program, which have been extended until December 31, 2024.
The amnesty program of the UAE government started on September 1 until October 31, but was extended due to appeals and in conjunction with the celebration of the 53rd Union Day of the UAE.
There are 658 OFWs and 46 dependents who have returned home through the UAE Amnesty Program, as of October 31, 2024.
For those with pending criminal cases, Bay clarified that they are not covered by the amnesty program and their charges need to be cleared first. This was after complaints of some OFWs in UAE that they cannot process their amnesty after they were allegedly “scammed” by their recruiters.
Bay also advised OFWs who have trouble in the approval of their amnesty application to seek the assistance of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in UAE, while those with pending cases will be given lawyers to fast track their cases.
