Hundreds of Pinoys in Lebanon take back repatriation request despite violence

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

He said Filipino community leaders and area coordinators have expressed their sentiment to stay despite the escalation of violence. <span id="isPasted" style="color: rgb(65, 65, 65); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Lebanese immigration authorities said over 11,000 Filipinos are staying in the country, not counting those who entered illegally.Ninety-five percent of Filipinos staying in Lebanon are female domestic helpers, the ambassador said.&ldquo;Ayaw po nilang magparepatriate&hellip;We cannot force them to go home if they don&rsquo;t want to go home,&rdquo; he said.Balatbat said ordinary citizens have become more fearful amid an escalation of cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon.&ldquo;Generally, nangangamba &lsquo;yung mga tao dito sa Lebanon kung ano &lsquo;yung mangyayari sa mga susunod na araw dahil nga p&ocirc; pinaputukan ng Hezbollah &lsquo;yung israel ng ilang missiles,&rdquo; the ambassador said.Israel has signaled its intention to shift focus to Iran-backed Hezbollah after nearly a year of cross-border fire that began in October in what Hezbollah calls support for Hamas Palestinian militants fighting Israel.<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/9/22/israel-and-hezbollah-urged-to-step-back-from-the-brink-007" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Israel and Hezbollah urged to step back from the brink</a>Dozens of Hezbollah rockets rained down on the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Bialik on Sunday, just 2 days after an Israeli air strike hit a densely populated Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut and killed the head of Hezbollah&#39;s elite Radwan Force, Ibrahim Aqil.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N0D2e_aP46Y?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> In the interview, the ambassador pointed out there should be no more deployment of Filipino workers to Lebanon since 2006.He said some Filipino workers who end up in Lebanon sometimes have valid papers to work in Saudi Arabia or Dubai but are &ldquo;diverted&rdquo; to Beirut.&nbsp;&ldquo;Maybe there are tie-ups of manpower agencies there with manpower agencies here,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat said his office has received 1,174 applications for repatriation from Filipinos in Lebanon.&ldquo;As of now, we have 1,174 applications for repatriation. Ang na-repatriate natin is 505. Kalahati po ay eventually nag-decline,&rdquo; the ambassador said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

Hundred of Filipinos in Lebanon have taken back their requests to be repatriated by the Philippine government despite the outbreak of violence in the region after the October 7 attack on Israel.

Hundred of Filipinos in Lebanon have taken back their requests to be repatriated by the Philippine government despite the outbreak of violence in the region after the October 7 attack on Israel.

Hundreds of Pinoys in Lebanon take back repatriation request despite violence | ABS-CBN News

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Hundreds of Pinoys in Lebanon take back repatriation request despite violence

Hundreds of Pinoys in Lebanon take back repatriation request despite violence