Over 500 Filipinos in Lebanon sought repatriation, 221 booked flights —DMW

More than 500 Filipinos in Lebanon have availed of voluntary repatriation amid the escalating conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Saturday.

Out of 11,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, who are mostly domestic workers, over 500 have “expressed intent to go home,'' Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said at a media forum in Quezon City.

Of the 350 Filipinos whose repatriation is being processed by the Lebanese immigration, 178 are currently staying in shelters in Beirut.

Meanwhile, 221 Filipinos had booked tickets to return home between October 12 and October 28.

''So, iku-combine mo iyong bilang na 221 na may tickets and around 350 in Lebanese immigration processing, eh aakyat ng mga [571],'' Cacdac said.

(The number will rise to 571 if you combine the 221 Filipinos who have tickets and the approximately 350 who are being processed by Lebanese immigration.)

Cacdac said two of the 20 Filipinos who were scheduled to return this weekend arrived in the Philippines on Friday.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday maintained Alert Level 3 in Lebanon.

Alert Level 3 means Filipinos may opt to be voluntarily repatriated. Raising it to Alert Level 4 would call for a mandatory repatriation.

“Patuloy tayong na nanghihikayat na mag-avail ng voluntary repatriation,” Cacdac said.

(We continuously ask them to avail of the voluntary repatriation.)

Reuters reported on Thursday that Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,100 people in Lebanon over the last year. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Reuters also reported that Hezbollah cross-border fire at Israel has killed 53 people, more than half of them civilians. —VBL, GMA Integrated News