DMW: 254 Filipinos from Lebanon set to be repatriated by end-October

Over 250 Filipinos situated in Lebanon are set to return to the Philippines before the month ends due to the conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Monday.

Migrant Secretary Hans Cacdac said that plane tickets have been booked for a total of 254 Filipinos in Lebanon, whose flights are scheduled from October 14 to 28.

“Tapos mayroong higit-kumulang…300 or so na pending before the Lebanese immigration authorities. So, higit-kumulang 500 ang mga alam nating nagnanais na umuwi sa Pilipinas,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(There are also approximately 300 Filipinos who are pending before the Lebanese immigration authorities. So, we know around 500 Filipinos who want to go home to the Philippines.)

There are 178 Filipinos also currently staying in shelters in Beirut amid the tensions in the Middle Eastern countries.

All in all, 460 Filipinos have gone back to the Philippines along with their 28 dependents, since the repatriation efforts of the Philippine government started last year.

Alert Level 3 remains hoisted in Lebanon, meaning Filipinos there may repatriate voluntarily.

“Mayroon tayong action fund na aprubado ng Kongreso at ng Pangulo. Ang directive ng Pangulo ay magbigay ng utmost assistance, whole of government assistance sa mga OFWs na nanunumbalik,” Cacdac said.

(We have an action fund approved by Congress and the President. The President's directive is to provide utmost assistance, whole of government assistance to OFWs who are coming home.)

Based on an Agence France-Presse report, UN peacekeepers in Lebanon warned Saturday against a "catastrophic" regional conflict as Israeli forces battled Hezbollah and Hamas militants on two fronts.

The Philippine Embassy in Beirut has been urging Filipinos to evacuate while commercial flights are still available amid the continued fight between Israel and Hezbollah. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News