More OFWs from Libya to come home

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli reported that three batches of Filipino repatriates are scheduled to arrive in Manila during the weekend.

Twentyone overseas Filipino workers from Libya are set to arrive in Manila today at 4 p.m. on board QR926 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Another batch of 15 OFWs will also arrive on Sunday  at 11 p.m. on board QR924.  The third batch of 36 OFWs will arrive on August 4 at 4 p.m. on board QR926.

These arrivals will bring the total number of Filipino repatriates from Libya to 824. DFA and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) representatives will be at the airport to brief and assist them.

The DFA appeals to all remaining Filipino nationals in Libya to immediately contact the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli and register for repatriation. The Philippine Government will shoulder the repatriation costs.

To register for repatriation, Filipinos can reach the Embassy in Tripoli through the telephone numbers (00218) 918-244-208 / 914-370-399 / 945-348-481 and the e-mail addresses [email protected] and [email protected].

The Embassy's address is KM 7 Gargaresh Road, Abu Nawas, P.O. Box 12508, Tripoli.

Families can also call DFA’s 24-hour hotlines (02) 552-7105 / (02) 834-4685 to register their relatives in Libya for repatriation. They may also call these numbers for any questions and concerns, or send their queries by e-mail to [email protected].

Meanwhile,  Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario met Friday with  some of a group of 95 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) ready to be repatriated from Libya. This current batch of Filipino evacuees crossed the Tunisian border of Ras Ajdir on July 31.

They  traveled to the Island of Djerba, over 120 kilometers from the border, where they are temporarily staying  while awaiting their flights to Manila on Sunday.

Del Rosario assured them and those who have yet to avail of the current mandatory repatriation program, of the continuing assistance of the Philippine government  under the aegis of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) composed of members from various agencies, such as the DFA, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Philippine Foreign Service Posts in surrounding areas.

Del Rosario urged the workers to convince their friends and co-workers who are still in Libya to avail themselves of the mandatory evacuation being undertaken by the government due to the escalating violence and lawlessness in that country.

He related that the border crossing between Tunisia and Libya was closed earlier in the day because of the shooting incident on July 31 which was precipitated by the unruly surge of refugees trying to flee Libya. Likewise, the border crossing from Libya to Egypt at As Salloum has been closed for some months now. Major airports have also been closed, thus narrowing the options for repatriation.

After several attempts to contract sea vessels which may be the only means of repatriation, the DFA was able to contract a ship that would,  within a few days time, will travel from Malta to fetch repatriates from Benghazi, Misrata and possibly Tripoli and then back to Malta as transit point for flights to Manila.

There were an estimated 13,000 OFWs in Libya, while over the last few weeks, about 800 have been repatriated. There are currently over 200 in the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli who are being processed for repatriation and this number is rapidly increasing.