ILOILO – Two Lebanon-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from here have requested repatriation.
The OFWs, natives of Leon and Concepcion towns, are seeking assistance from the national and provincial governments to ensure their safety.
According to Cynthia Parcon-Dario, acting head of the provincial government’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO), the OFW from Concepcion was supposed to come home much earlier but her employer got sick, but now she’s being allowed to leave.
The other OFW, whose contract has ended, also wishes to return to the Philippines to avoid the worsening situation in Lebanon.
Israel has been launching airstrikes in Lebanon since last week, and on September 28 it killed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. This has heightened concerns among OFWs in the Middle East, and particularly those in Lebanon.
The two OFWs are part of 84 Ilonggo OFWs in Lebanon accounted for by various municipal PESO managers. Many more remain unaccounted.
Out of these accounted OFWs, 82 are deemed safe. The two who requested repatriation are working near the common border of Lebanon and Israel where most airstrikes are concentrated.
According to the provincial PESO, there are a total of 1,731 Ilonggo OFWs in Lebanon, of which 245 are active OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) members.
The breakdown of the Ilonggo OFWs in Lebanon is as follows: Miag-ao (5), Tigbauan (15), Calinog (1), Carles (1), Barotac Nuevo (16), Concepcion (2), San Joaquin (2), Santa Barbara (3), Badiangan (1), Anilao (2), Cabatuan (1), Sara (1), Leon (15), Barotac Viejo (10), Leganes (7), Lambunao (1), and Passi City (1).
“The provincial government is in constant communication with the two OFWs through the 24/7 emergency hotlines to provide the necessary assistance for their repatriation,” Parcon-Dario told Panay News yesterday.
Both OFWs have also communicated with the Philippine Embassy in Beirut and government agencies such as OWWA and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The Iloilo provincial government is ready to extend assistance once the OFWs return home, subject to requirements.
Several programs under the Overseas Filipinos Migration and Development Center, managed by PESO, are available to repatriated OFWs, including:
* Financial Assistance to Repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (PAR-OFWs) – This program offers P10,000 to repatriated Ilonggo OFWs who experienced job displacement due to political unrest, civil war, natural calamities, employer maltreatment, or illness in the host country.
* Referral to Psycho-social Support – the “Psycho-social Response for Ilonggos towards More Resilient Mind and Emotion” (PRIME) program
* Expanded Micro-Business Recovery Assistance During Crisis and Emergency (EMBRACE) – This loan assistance program provides loans ranging from P20,000 to P100,000 to help mitigate the socio-economic impacts of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic or national emergencies.
On August 24, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. reactivated the 24/7 emergency hotlines to assist OFWs and their families, particularly those in Lebanon. These hotlines include: PESO – 0961-680-4428, 0917-754-3833, 0916-758-3156, and 0910-005-4682, and PDRRMO – 0960-834-8147. Messages can also be sent via the PESO-Province of Iloilo Facebook page.
This initiative is part of the provincial government’s Task Force “Bulig Ilonggo” created under Executive Order 004, series of 2020, to support OFWs and their families in crisis-prone areas.
“Our hotlines are open 24/7 to assist those seeking help, and we respond based on the assistance requested,” said Dario.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), led by Cornelio Salinas, is also monitoring the emergency hotlines to promptly respond to calls from OFWs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that over 500 OFWs have returned to the Philippines from Lebanon, with 1,000 more in the process of being repatriated. Another flight is scheduled for October 3.
Repatriated OFWs will receive a total of P150,000 in financial aid from the DMW and OWWA. The Philippine Embassy in Beirut and the Migrant Workers Office continue to assist OFWs affected by Israeli airstrikes. No Filipino casualties have been reported so far.
Additionally, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will offer counseling and training support to repatriated OFWs./PN
