DMW: No distinction between undocumented, documented OFWs in repatriation from Lebanon

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DMW: No distinction between undocumented, documented OFWs in repatriation from Lebanon

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

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An emergency worker takes a photograph on an Israeli flag deployed on the wall of a damaged building in Kiryat Bialik in the Haifa district of Israel, following a reported strike by Lebanon's Hezbollah on September 22, 2024. Jack Guez, AFP


MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it would assist all overseas Filipino workers, regardless of status, who wanted to be repatriated from Lebanon. 


DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia told ABS-CBN News there is no longer a distinction between OFWs during times of conflict, like the tensions between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. 


He made the remark when asked about the concerns of some undocumented OFWs who were supposedly facing delays in repatriation due to their status.


"Yung documented and undocumented hindi na natin tinitingnan yan kapag may kaguluhan. Whether you are a documented or undocumented OFW [overseas Filipino worker], iisa ang aming turing diyan. Tutulungan po natin sila. In fact, meron na po tayong hotline at open po ang communication natin doon sa hotline at help desk na tinayo ng ating Task Force Lebanon," he said on Monday.


(If they're documented or undocumented, we no longer look at that when there is conflict. Whether you are a documented or undocumented OFW [overseas Filipino worker], we treat them as one. We will help them. In fact, we have a hotline and communication lines are open in the hotline and help desk that the Task Force Lebanon has put up.)


"Nandodoon po yung mga numero na pwede po nila kontakin. At kapag kinontact nila yun, gagawa ng paraan ang MWO sa tulong din ng Philippine Embassy doon, pupuntahan nila yan. Kasi meron pong naka-assign na personnel na tutulong po talaga. Hindi lang nakikipag-coordinate, kungdi kung pwede sunduin sila, susunduin po yung mga kababayan natin," he added.


(The hotlines they can contact are all there. If they contact those numbers, the Migrant Workers Office with the help of the Philippine Embassy there will go to the affected OFW. We have assigned personnel who will help them. They not only coordinate, but if we can pick up our fellow countrymen, we will pick them up.)



The DMW official said they did not have an estimate of how many undocumented OFWs were in Lebanon, but he assured everyone that they maintain communication with their groups.


No Filipinos have died or been injured in the airstrikes, he Olalia said. 


The DMW official said there were some 60 OFWs in the shelters they set up in Lebanon.


"Tatlo na po ang shelter na na-establish ng DMW [Department of Migrant Workers] doon. Yung migrant shelter natin sa Beirut kung nasaan ang opisina natin, at may dalawa pang nadagdag sakaling dumami ang gustong magavail ng repatriation. Handa po tayo," he said.


(The Department of Migrant Workers has established three shelters in Lebanon. One is in Beirut, where our office is located; and two more which were added in case there is an influx of overseas Filipino workers who want to avail of repatriation. We are ready.)



Olalia said they were awaiting word if international airlines have resumed flights to the Middle Eastern country, as there are two batches of OFWs set to return next month.


He clarified that the airport in Lebanon was open, but flight carriers suspended flights due to intensified airstrikes.


"May mga kababayan tayong parating under facilitated repatriation, 15 po yun inaasahan natin sa October 3. Ito po ay kung magreresume yung flights. Kasi dapat sila ay nakauwi noong September 25 pa, meron tayong nabook noong September 25. Kaya lang dahil sa kaguluhan, na-cancel yung flight na yun. So mula September 25 hanggang ngayon, nag-aantay po tayo na magbukas muli," he shared.

 

(We have fellow countrymen coming home under facilitated repatriation, there are 15 of them arriving on October 3. This is only if flights will resume. They were supposed to return last September 25, we already booked that flight. But because of the conflict, the flight got canceled. From September 25 up to now, we are still waiting for flights to open.)


"Yung sa October 5 naman nasa 17 [ang uuwi]. Aasahan natin na patuloy po ang ating repatriation after po doon sa dalawang batches na sinabi ko sa October. Meron din kasunod ulit yun at lalong mas marami yun kasi marami nang kababayan natin sa shelter ang nagnanais umuwi," Olalia added.


(Around 17 overseas Filipino workers are set to return on October 5. We are expecting continuous repatriation after the two batches in October I mentioned earlier. There will also be succeeding batches, which we expect to be more, since many of our fellow countrymen in the shelters want to return home.)



The DMW said the Department of Foreign Affairs continued to assess the situation in Lebanon to see if there was a need to raise the alert level from three to four. Alert level three is voluntary repatriation, while the next level calls for mandatory repatriation.


The agency acknowledged some OFWs chose to stay despite the conflict due to various reasons. But there are some who are being held against their will.


"Ang natatanggap po natin sa ating Labor Attaché, minsan kinontak na sila at ready na kami pumunta doon, yung employer ayaw daw pumayag. Hindi siya pinapayagan o di kaya yung kanyang pasaporte ayaw ibigay," Olalia shared.


(We have received reports from our Labor Attache that there are some OFWs who have been contacted already. Then when we are ready to pick them up, their employer refuses to let them go or they don't want to give back their passport.)


"Ang aming instruction naman, pumayag man o hindi, basta kagustuhan ng ating worker yan, kukunin at kukunin natin. Meron mang pasaporte o wala, basta importante kasama natin yung ating OFW, patutulungan na natin mapagawa ng mga exit or travel documents," he said.


(Our instruction is that whether they are allowed or not, if our worker wants to go, we will get them. Even if they don't have their passport, as long as we are with our overseas Filipino worker, we will help them get their exit or travel documents.)



The DMW said some 400 OFWs have returned to the country so far out of approximately 11,000 Filipinos in Lebanon.


Millions of Filipinos work overseas -- with large numbers concentrated in the Middle East -- due to limited job opportunities at home. Around 90 percent of those working in Lebanon are women migrant domestic workers.


After Israel's war with Hamas erupted last year following the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack, Manila began voluntary repatriations of its citizens from the areas affected by the fighting.


The conflict has since spilled into Lebanon, with Israel's ongoing bombardments in the country raising fears of an all-out regional war in the Middle East.


—- With a report from Agence France-Presse

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