50 more Pinoys repatriated from Lebanon

Fifty more repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have arrived from Lebanon on Tuesday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

On board Qatar Airways, the distressed Filipino workers—who arrived at about 9:15 a.m.—were assisted by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) repatriation unit.

The OFWs had been staying in Lebanon but the workers asked to be brought home because of alleged abuses by their employers.
OWWA said that the Filipino workers, who are mostly victims of illegal recruiters, would be given assistance in clearing immigration and customs procedures.

OWWA added that their cases would be endorsed to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration for the legal assistance.
According to OWWA, the Philippines does not allow deployment of Filipino workers to Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Jordan because of unstable security conditions in the said countries.

On Monday, 109 repatriated Filipino workers and two children were arrived also from Lebanon.

In all, the three repatriated groups totaled 162. The first batch consisted of 87 workers (all females) and two children. The second batch consisted of 22 females and one male.

The overseas workers’ agency added that the workers are temporarily staying at the OWWA Halfway House prior to their return to their home provinces. –Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz, Manila Times