PH Embassy in Lebanon Sends Home 124 OFWs and children

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond R. Balatbat (third from left) during the send-off of 124 repatriates at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport joined by Vice Consul Miko Cabatingan (fourth from right) with the Embassy’s ATN Team. (Beirut PE photo)

BEIRUT 04 April 2022 — The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon repatriated 124 overseas Filipino workers and children on 30 March 2022m through a chartered flight which made a stop-over in Kuwait to pick up distressed Filipino workers before proceeding to Manila.

This is the Embassy’s first mass repatriation program of the year after bringing home around 3,400 nationals since the free voluntary mass repatriation started in 2019.

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond R. Balatbat led the Embassy’s team at the airport in assisting the repatriates to board the chartered sweeper flight. Embassy’s assistance-to-nationals (ATN) team, along with OUMWA and OWWA, coordinated with concerned agencies in the Philippines to address the quarantine requirements of those not fully-vaccinated upon their arrival in the Philippines.

Aiming to assist vulnerable Filipino migrants, most of whom are women and children, amidst the worsening economic situation in Lebanon, the Embassy’s ATN program Iwas able to provide the appropriate assistance to Filipino migrant workers and their dependents in resolving cases involving legal, immigration, medical and welfare concerns, in coordination with local stakeholders and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila.

The Embassy is committed to continue providing ATN services and bringing home distressed OFWs and their dependents amidst the on-going economic crisis in Lebanon. END

Repatriates lining up as they await their turn at the airport check-in counter - a total of 111 adults, 12 children and an infant. (Beirut PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.beirutpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHinLebanon/.