76 more OFWs repatriated from Lebanon

Seventy-six overseas more Filipino workers (OFWs) and two dependents have arrived safely in the Philippines from Lebanon, the Department of Migrant Workers said.

In a social media post, the DMW said Emirates EK 334 landed at NAIA on Sunday with this latest batch of repatriations from conflict-ridden Lebanon.

The group brings the total number of OFWs who have been repatriated by the Philippine government from Lebanon to 636, and the number of dependents with them to 32.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has raised Alert Level 3 for Lebanon, meaning repatriation is still voluntary, amid airstrikes and a ground invasion by Israel that have affected parts of the country.

The government has been urging Filipinos in Lebanon to return to the Philippines while flights are still available, and announced last week that it will charter flights to bring them home.

Israel has stepped up its attacks on Lebanon, saying it is targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah. But over the past year, Lebanese officials estimate that more than 2,400 people have been killed and more than 1.2 million people displaced. — BM, GMA Integrated News