Source: PDI
MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) The first group of Filipino workers arrived home from riot-torn Libya on Saturday and at least 16 more were expected to arrive Sunday, officials said.
At least 57 Filipinos who fled the unrest in Libya were flown into Manila by their French employer with a total of 97 expected before the end of the day, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Malaya said.
The government estimates that 26,000 to 30,000 Filipinos were working in Libya before the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi broke out, part of a vast number of mostly lower-paid migrant workers in the country from across Asia and Africa.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that the Filipinos were on board five separate flights from France, where they fled after civil unrest wracked Libya this week.
A composite team of labor and foreign affairs officials, led by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Carmelita Dimzon, welcomed the Filipino workers at the airport.
“There will be other flights and we will disseminate the information about these as soon as we get confirmation,” Baldoz said.
On Sunday, another batch of 15 Filipinos employed by Akakus Craddok USA in Tripoli will arrive on board a Qatar Airlines flight from Madrid at 3 p.m. Another Filipino, Eduardo Granadozin, will also arrive from Madrid later at 9 p.m.
Baldoz said the 15 OFWs arriving Sunday afternoon are Jimmy Fastino, Walter Paco, Roberto Abadecio, Leando De Castro, Jose Cacal, F. Punzalan, Castor Abaritos, Carlito Macatangay, Bernard Calnea, Aurelio Patacsil, August Bailey Caringal, Arturo del Rosario, Arnold Salvador, Alan Agriam, and Taguin Abbe.
She said the group and Granadozin arrived in Madrid together with Spanish engineers who evacuated from Libya onboard a chartered flight.
“The Spanish engineers who are workers of Repsol Petroleum of Spain took with them the 16 Filipinos even if they were not Repsol Petroleum employees. For this, we thank the company and the government of Spain for allowing the OFWs to transit their country,” Baldoz said.
She added that the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, headed by Ambassador Carlos Salinas, and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office there under officer-in-charge Connie Marquez took care of the needs of the 16 OFWs.
Malaya said that more are expected home in the coming days, some evacuated by their employers and others helped by the Philippine government.
At the airport, the first repatriated Filipinos, most of them construction workers, profusely thanked their recruitment agency for helping them leave, before they were taken to a holding area to meet their families.
The new arrivals complained about not being able to make phone calls out of Libya but did not appear troubled by their experience.
"We are making arrangements for the availability of ferries to take our nationals out to Malta or Crete as well as making arrangements for possible shuttle flights to take them out from Tripoli," Malaya said.
Many Filipinos who were working in Libya for foreign companies are already being evacuated by their employers and are due to arrive soon, Malaya added.
Newly-appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has also departed for Tunisia to help facilitate the evacuation, he said.
Philippine diplomatic teams are currently deployed at the Egyptian and Tunisian borders with Libya and alternative land routes are being set up to help more Filipinos leave.
Of the total 26,200 Filipinos, about 13,000 are due to be taken out under the government's evacuation program and the rest are expected to leave with their multinational employers.
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MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) The first group of Filipino workers arrived home from riot-torn Libya on Saturday and at least 16 more were expected to arrive Sunday, officials said.
At least 57 Filipinos who fled the unrest in Libya were flown into Manila by their French employer with a total of 97 expected before the end of the day, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Malaya said.
The government estimates that 26,000 to 30,000 Filipinos were working in Libya before the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi broke out, part of a vast number of mostly lower-paid migrant workers in the country from across Asia and Africa.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that the Filipinos were on board five separate flights from France, where they fled after civil unrest wracked Libya this week.
A composite team of labor and foreign affairs officials, led by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Carmelita Dimzon, welcomed the Filipino workers at the airport.
“There will be other flights and we will disseminate the information about these as soon as we get confirmation,” Baldoz said.
On Sunday, another batch of 15 Filipinos employed by Akakus Craddok USA in Tripoli will arrive on board a Qatar Airlines flight from Madrid at 3 p.m. Another Filipino, Eduardo Granadozin, will also arrive from Madrid later at 9 p.m.
Baldoz said the 15 OFWs arriving Sunday afternoon are Jimmy Fastino, Walter Paco, Roberto Abadecio, Leando De Castro, Jose Cacal, F. Punzalan, Castor Abaritos, Carlito Macatangay, Bernard Calnea, Aurelio Patacsil, August Bailey Caringal, Arturo del Rosario, Arnold Salvador, Alan Agriam, and Taguin Abbe.
She said the group and Granadozin arrived in Madrid together with Spanish engineers who evacuated from Libya onboard a chartered flight.
“The Spanish engineers who are workers of Repsol Petroleum of Spain took with them the 16 Filipinos even if they were not Repsol Petroleum employees. For this, we thank the company and the government of Spain for allowing the OFWs to transit their country,” Baldoz said.
She added that the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, headed by Ambassador Carlos Salinas, and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office there under officer-in-charge Connie Marquez took care of the needs of the 16 OFWs.
Malaya said that more are expected home in the coming days, some evacuated by their employers and others helped by the Philippine government.
At the airport, the first repatriated Filipinos, most of them construction workers, profusely thanked their recruitment agency for helping them leave, before they were taken to a holding area to meet their families.
The new arrivals complained about not being able to make phone calls out of Libya but did not appear troubled by their experience.
"We are making arrangements for the availability of ferries to take our nationals out to Malta or Crete as well as making arrangements for possible shuttle flights to take them out from Tripoli," Malaya said.
Many Filipinos who were working in Libya for foreign companies are already being evacuated by their employers and are due to arrive soon, Malaya added.
Newly-appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has also departed for Tunisia to help facilitate the evacuation, he said.
Philippine diplomatic teams are currently deployed at the Egyptian and Tunisian borders with Libya and alternative land routes are being set up to help more Filipinos leave.
Of the total 26,200 Filipinos, about 13,000 are due to be taken out under the government's evacuation program and the rest are expected to leave with their multinational employers.
