MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced Saturday that 290 Filipinos have been successfully repatriated from Lebanon via a chartered flight on Friday.
The flight included 233 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), 13 dependents, 21 other overseas Filipinos, and their 23 dependents, taking off from Lebanon at 2 p.m. Beirut time.
They arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 in Pasay City at 3:03 p.m., accompanied by MWO Attaché to Alkhobar, Hector B. Cruz, Jr., from Beirut to Manila.
Arrangements for the flight were made by the DMW in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, Turkiye, to ensure the safe return of the repatriates.
“The Philippine Embassy and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Lebanon work hand-in-hand with the host government to facilitate travel documents for Filipinos to join this flight,” said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac.
This latest batch brings the total number of repatriated OFWs from Lebanon to 903, along with 47 dependents, under the government’s voluntary repatriation program.
With tensions rising in the Middle East, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed authorities to prioritize the evacuation of Filipinos in Lebanon by any available means.
Migrant workers’ organizations in the Philippines and the Middle East are likewise advocating for urgent repatriation flights, noting the need for chartered flights rather than depending on commercial availability.
With the 290 recent arrivals, the DMW noted that the total count of repatriated Filipinos stands at 903 OFWs and 47 dependents since October 2023.
Meanwhile, the remaining 69 Filipinos at shelters in Beirut continue to receive food and support from the MWO.
“We stand ready to assist those who are willing to be repatriated. We are encouraging OFWs to avail of the voluntary repatriation program.
And sa pag-uwi nila, a whole-of-government approach ang nakahanda, as directed by the President, with unprecedented financial assistance and other forms of support,” Cacdac stated.
Repatriates will receive P75,000 in financial assistance from the DMW’s AKSYON Fund, plus an additional P75,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and P20,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Department of Health (DOH) will also offer free medical consultations and psychological first aid to those returning.
Furthermore, the DMW will assist repatriates in establishing livelihoods and pursuing other opportunities through its National Reintegration Center for OFWs.
Under Alert Level 3, repatriation is voluntary for Filipinos. Cacdac previously shared that of the 514 Filipinos who opted for repatriation, 264 have plane tickets, while 250 others await the Lebanese government’s clearance.