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Philippine Embassies in Beirut and Damascus Join Hands to Bring Filipinos in Syria to Safety


    Beirut Syria Repat
    10 September 2013 – In compliance with the directive of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario to intensify efforts to bring Filipinos from Syria out of harm’s way, the Philippine Embassies in Damascus (Damascus PE) and Beirut (Beirut PE) have joined hands once again to undertake another cross-border repatriation operation.
    In the morning of September 05, Damascus PE personnel brought a new batch of 92 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the Masna’a border crossing, 62 kilometers away from Beirut.
    Fifty-one (51) individuals from the new batch joined 45 other OFWs who have been staying at the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC) since August 30 at the Rafik Hariri International Airport later that day.   
    All-in-all, 96 OFWs departed for Manila on two separate flights. They arrived the following day, September 06.
    The remaining 41 individuals from the latest batch of OFWs transferred to Beirut from Damascus are scheduled to arrive in Manila today, September 10 at 03:20 p.m. on board Etihad Airways flight EY 424. Upon their arrival, the number of OFWs repatriated from Syria will reach 4,741.
    Beirut PE officers and staff recounted the seamless coordination among the Embassy teams. 
    The 92 OFWs were met at the border by a Beirut PE team, composed of Vice Consul Dennis Briones and Information Officer Edwin Batallones, to facilitate their entry into Lebanon.
    From the border, 91 of the OFWs were divided into groups of 50 and 41. The 41 were brought directly to the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC) by Mr. Batallones and two CLMC personnel.
    The 50 OFWs were first brought to Beirut PE’s shelter and were turned over to a team composed of Cultural Officer Gladys Perey, Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Junaid Ali and MOFWRC houseparent Gina Murillo, who briefed them on the house rules and later on offered them a hot dinner prepared by Ms. Perey and Ms. Murillo.
    Meanwhile, another team composed of Vice Consul Rona Beth Goce and ATN Officer Dexter Macaraeg travelled to the CLMC shelter to fetch the 45 OFWs who arrived in Lebanon last August 30 and bring them to the airport.
    The 45 OFWs were later joined by the 50 OFWs who were staying at the Embassy shelter and by a lone OFW who was brought directly from the border to the airport by OWWA staff Joselito Sunga.
    Those who were left at the CLMC shelter were brought under the care of a team composed of OWWA Welfare Officer Imelda Gatinao, Embassy Collecting Officer Lilia Pangilinan and Damascus PE local hire Alma Balili.
    Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Leah Basinang-Ruiz and her spouse, who had returned to the Embassy from CLMC, also visited the 50 OFWs at the Embassy shelter before they left for the airport to wish them a safe journey home to the Philippines as well as a happy reunion with their families.
    Vice Consul Briones and ATN Officer Dexter Macaraeg escorted the OFWs and assisted them in going through the security, check-in, immigration and boarding procedures at the airport.
    Ambassador Ruiz expressed satisfaction at the utmost cooperation and excellent teamwork shown by the Embassy, POLO and OWWA officers and staff who all pitched in to ensure that the Embassy’s job to receive the OFWs from Syria, care for them temporarily in the shelters and ensure their speedy departure out of Lebanon were well executed without a hitch. Once again, she conveyed the deepest appreciation of the Philippine Government to the Lebanese Government, particularly to the General Security (Immigration), for the excellent cooperation in facilitating the entry of OFWs from Syria into Lebanon.
    She also reiterated the Philippine Government’s warmest gratitude and appreciation to CLMC officials, Eng. Kamal Sioufi and Ms. Najla Chahda, for generously making available a very comfortable shelter for the weary OFWs, as well as a mobile clinic, and particularly their three Caritas personnel who provided invaluable assistance, most especially at the Masna’a border and the Caritas shelter.
    The cross-border operation involving 92 OFWs from Syria on September 05 was the 30th to take place since December 2012 through the joint effort of the Philippine Embassies in Damascus and Beirut. With the departure of 96 OFWs onboard separate flights on September 05 and 06, Beirut PE has repatriated a total of 1,678 Filipinos from Syria via the Rafik Hariri International Airport. END

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