Another 31 OFWs from Syria arrive today

MANILA, Philippines - Another group of 31 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Syria is expected to arrive in the country today, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the OFWs are scheduled to arrive at 10:55 a.m. on board Gulf Air flight GF 154.

He said the group’s arrival would bring to 4,722 the total number of OFWs repatriated from strife-torn Syria. At least 1,750 of them were repatriated through Lebanon.

He said Philippine embassy personnel brought the 31 OFWs to Lebanon.

The OFWs were from the group of 92 OFWs evacuated by the embassy in Damascus from Syria to Lebanon on Sept. 5.

They stayed at the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center for four days under the care of representatives of the Philippine embassy in Beirut and CLMC.

Embassy personnel escorted the repatriates on Sept. 9 to the Rafik Hariri International Airport and assisted them in airline, immigration and boarding formalities.

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Leah Basinang-Ruiz thanked the Lebanese General Security and CLMC officials for assisting the Philippine embassy in Lebanon in safely repatriating the Filipinos from Syria.