155 OFWs from Lebanon, Nigeria return home

The overcrowded welfare center at the Philippine embassy in Beirut, Lebanon is now left with just one runaway Filipino following the repatriation on Tuesday of the last batch of 139 Filipino workers who had sought shelter there. Sixteen co-workers of the eight abducted Filipinos in Nigeria also arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday to be re-united with their families here, GMA's News Flash reported. The first batch of 26 workers of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co. in Port Harcourt, Nigeria were repatriated on Monday following the South Korean company’s decision to temporarily stop operations following the abduction of 11 of its workers at the Afam power plant construction site early Thursday last week. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr said negotiations between representatives of Nigeria’s Rivers state government and the kidnappers were continuing. He reiterated that the hostages have been reported safe and in good condition. Meantime, Charge d’affaires Mariano A. Dumia reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that most of the 139 repatriated workers from Lebanon were runaways. The runaway left at the welfare center was not able to join the 139 going home to the Philippines because she was not able to make it to the final list submitted to Lebanese Immigration for the issuance of exit visas. Dumia, however, assured the embassy will “exert all efforts to have the OFW cleared and repatriated to the Philippines at the earliest possible time." Dumia said that upon the announcement of their confirmed departure flight, the 139 Filipinos in the shelter “yelled, clapped their hands, embraced one another, and shed tears of joy." “Finally, after many months of uncertainty and waiting, the Filipinos in the shelter are now happy, excited and eager to go home to be with their loved ones. Today is indeed a big day for the distressed workers and their families back home, the Embassy, and the Department of Foreign Affairs," Dumia said. “Some of these Filipinos had been in the Center for four to ten months. They were runaways, leaving their employers because of non-payment of salaries, maltreatment and other forms of abuses," Dumia said. He added that among the runaways were Allan Anabu, the only male in the group, and two children, aged six and one, who are children of Filipinas with foreigners. "Kaya ko ho ang gutom at hirap ng trabaho, ang hindi ko kaya ay ang panggugulpi nila (I can bear hunger and hard work, but I can't tolerate their maltreatment)," said Anabu. One-year-old John Abdana Navarrete traveled without his mother who is detained in Lebanon. The mass repatriation of distressed workers was made possible after Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo directed Dumia to appeal to General Wafic Jezzini, Director General of the General Security (Immigration), to allow the workers to return home after their respective employers refused to cooperate in settling their employment problems. The repatriation program also made possible the travel to the Philippines of the two children, who otherwise would not have been able to leave Lebanon without the consent of their fathers, the DFA said in a statement. Dumia accompanied the Filipinos home, along with Col. Amal Wehbe and Maj. Anis Fayad, two Lebanese immigration officials who were invited by the Philippine Government as official guests. Vice President Noli de Castro and Conejos, welcomed the repatriates at the NAIA. - GMANews.TV