Most OFWs prefer to stay in Libya

Many also waiting to get gratuity pay, says PH labor attaché

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Embassy in Libya is still encouraging more Filipino workers to avail of the offer of repatriation from the conflict-torn country, but lack of jobs back home is holding them from returning.

“We have been requesting them to go home for awhile for their own safety,” said Philippine Labor Attaché to Libya, Nasser Mustafa.

In an interview with ANC, Mustafa said many Filipinos have opted to stay because they believe that there are no job opportunities waiting for them in the Philippines.

“Sabi nila they have to stay for reasons that pag uwi nila sa Pilipinas, wala silang trabaho sa Pilipinas,” he said.

Mustafa added that others do not want to go home yet without their gratuity pay.

“Ayaw umuwi dahil sa hinihintay nilang gratuity because they have been here working for more than 10 years, 20 years..hinihintay nila yung gratuity nila,” he said.

He said the Filipino workers fear that when they go home and the situation in Libya goes back to normal “hindi na nila makukuha yung pinaghirapan nila”.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) ship that would bring foreign nationals, including Filipinos, out of Libya is already in Tripoli.

He said IOM representatives are in the process of asking the Tripoli Port Authority for permission to dock the ship.

They are also clearing the repatriation efforts with security officials in Libya.

“Ngayon, ang sitwasyon, every corner of the highway or the road maraming mga security so we have to clear from them na pwede tayong dumaan para walang hassle sa ating kabababayan na dadalin natin sa Tripoli,” he said.

So far, less than a hundred Filipino workers have signified their intentions to be repatriated.

“In the capital city of Tripoli, we have more or less 700 Filipino workers. And out of that 700 workers, we have about 90 of them willing to be repatriated,” Mustafa said. –abs-cbnNEWS.com