The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Saturday assured that they “stand ready” to assist Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affected by the Hezbollah-Israel conflict.
In a news forum in Quezon City, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said that following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive, assistance, free repatriation, and food onsite and upon repatriation for arriving OFWs are continuous.
“So, we stand ready ‘no, we stand continually ready. Hindi nahinto iyong direktiba ng ating Pangulo na magbigay ng libreng repatriation at food onsite and upon repatriation, assistance sa mga dumadating,” Cacdac said.
Cacdac mentioned that they are rigorously monitoring the situation of Filipinos in the conflict region. They are also closely coordinating with the Philippine embassy in Beirut and Tel Aviv, he added.
“In fact, may kauuwi lang na labing-walo from Lebanon last week. The count now stands around 1,100 na nakauwi from Israel, Lebanon, West Bank, and Gaza and we are closely monitoring the situation,” Cacdac reported.
He noted that there is also at least one OFW who was saved from the West Bank. He is about to go home together with the country’s labor attaché in partnership with the embassy in Jordan, he added.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel erupted anew following accusations from Israel that Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group, was responsible for the death of 12 children in a rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Majdal Shams last Saturday.
Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack. PND
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