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Saturday, July 22, 2006
102 more Pinoy workers set to leave Lebanon
MANILA -- Armed with clearance pass from the Israeli Government, the second batch of 102 Filipino workers in war-torn Lebanon would join 188 other evacuees who are already in Damascus, Syria waiting to be flown home to Manila.
Once in Damascus, the two batches of Filipino evacuees are set to board a chartered flight back to Manila not later than Saturday, Presidential special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu said Friday during a command conference held at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and presided by Vice President Noli de Castro, with some members of the Cabinet in attendance.
Cimatu, who is in Lebanon, said Filipinos are already moving towards the border of Lebanon and Syria and will land at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City at 1 p.m. Saturday onboard a Lockheed 11 aircraft of the Emirates Airline.
"They (Filipino-evacuees from Lebanon) are expected to arrive between 5 to 6 p.m. in Damascus to join the first batch of Filipino evacuees. Hopefully, there will be 290 of them who will be arriving in the Philippines on Saturday," he said, noting that four more Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the first batch decided not to join the flight back to Manila.
The Philippines has about 30,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, working mostly as domestic helpers.
During the teleconference, the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Team led by Cimatu and composed of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis, Ambassador to Israel Antonio Modena, and charge d'affaires to Lebanon Walter Salmingo reported to the Cabinet the situation on the ground.
Modena reported that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have guaranteed safe passage to Filipino evacuees leaving Lebanon.
"We have a very good coordination with IDF and they assured us that they will be given safe passage," he said.
For his part, Seguis, who is deployed in Syria, said the Syrian Government has already waived visas for all Filipino evacuees entering the country. "I talked with Foreign Ministry officials here in Damascus and they have waived visas for our nationals who will be evacuated from Lebanon," he said.
Salmingo, who is based in Beirut, said 246 other Filipinos have opted to remain at the relocation site at Basilica of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal in Sasine. He said that 1,572 Filipinos have already registered with the embassy in the event of mass evacuation, although the situation in Lebanon is still under control despite reports of massive destruction in the news.
"These Filipinos are not in the church. They are still with their employers. They will only go to the relocation center only if there is mass evacuation," he said, adding that a number of Filipinos in Lebanon who are located far from the conflict areas have decided to stay with their employers.
Esteban Conejos Jr., DFA undersecretary for migrant workers affairs, said there is no widespread violence in Lebanon. "I talked with the Israel Embassy's charge d'affaires here in Manila and he told me that Israel chooses its targets carefully," he said.
He said the embassy continues to advise Filipinos to stay with their employers unless their lives are in danger but if they feel that they are no longer safe, they should go to the nearest designated embassy's safe house in Lebanon where they could be picked up for relocation.
Conejos said the governments of the US, France, Italy, Spain, and Britain approved the Philippine Government's request for assistance for the evacuation of Filipinos. He instructed Salmingo to coordinate with the representatives of these governments in Lebanon as well as with officials of the International Office of Migration (IOM).
During the 1991 Gulf War, the IOM provided 20 planes to the Philippines for the evacuation of distressed Filipinos trapped in the fierce fighting.
"We are already talking with these officials. We have also asked the Philippine Mission to Geneva to also make strong representations with the IOM," Salmingo said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo instructed the envoys to assure Filipinos who wish to return home that the government will pay for their evacuation expenses.
"Lives are at stake here. You (envoys) should assure those who want to be evacuated and relocated that all costs should not be a consideration. Help them with all that they need. Cost is not a concern," Romulo said as he called for cessation of hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.
He also appealed to both sides to spare the innocent, the workers, and their families from any harm or accident. "On behalf of the citizens, civilians, and non-combatants of every nationality caught in the crossfire in Lebanon, we call on all parties to consider an immediate ceasefire leading to negotiation and a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict," he said.
"For the hope for peace to become a reality, peace must be pursued at all cost and at whatever sacrifice," he added.
Meanwhile, Malacañang assured the families of OFWs in Lebanon that government is trying to find ways to ensure the safety of their loved ones.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is in constant touch with envoys in the Middle East. He said that Cimatu and his team are on the case and that they have a hot line to the President.
"Decisions are being made in real time to meet contingencies as they arise," he said.
He also said that Arroyo continues to appeal to the warring parties to have compassion for OFWs who are only in Lebanon to work and support their families back in the Philippines. (ECV/JMR/Sunnex)
(July 22, 2006 issue)
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