'Happy' families welcome Ilonggo OFWs from Lebanon
OFWs arrive from Lebanon on a flight through
Qatar, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on
July 28, 2006.
Four more Ilonggo Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from war-torn Lebanon arrived Saturday morning at the Iloilo pier. Their families were a picture of joy and happiness as they saw them embarking from the Super Ferry vessel from Manila.
The four Ilonggos were Ma. Ludy Sunga (Pavia), Milet Sunio (Sta. Barbara), Grace Galgo and Emma Faeldonia of Capiz. The quartet are the recent batch of Ilonggos who went home to escape war in Lebanon.
Their dreams for their family left in their respective places may have been shattered but the fact that they went home alive is more than enough.
Sunga was fetched by her parents and children at the Iloilo port. Sunga chose to go home alone in her hometown. Galgo and Faeldonia disembarked the ship unnoticed. The OFWs families were happy to see them though they did not carry any goodies for them. They said their presence and safe return to their home is more than enough for them.
The four Ilonggos were just part of the number of OFWs in Lebanon who were repatriated. The first set of Ilonggos identified by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) were Michelle Gomez (Lemery), Daisy Baling (Pavia), Meluna Rebuste (Carles), Sheila Mae Siason (Tigbauan) and Lolita Allas (San Miguel ).
Most of the returning OFWs said poverty drove them to work in Lebanon despite the difficult work, low salary and abusive employers. Not all Filipinos working in Beirut are lucky enough to be treated humanely by their employers. Most of the OFWs were maltreated by their employers and had to run away to reach the Filipino evacuation center. And as they return home, they want a decent employment here.
At present, the OWWA has a program exclusively for the OFWs where they can avail a P50,000 loan. It is a non-collateral loan. It could be used as capital for a small business but could not be spent for placement fees to work abroad.
In the region, it was not immediately known if the government has enough budget for such program. No details was released yet on how many OFWs have already availed of such loan since the program was long been introduced even before the war broke out in Lebanon.
The recent repatriation of Filipinos from Lebanon stirred a controversy when Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara said there is a fund shortage for the repatriation of thousands of Filipinos.
Bichara's statement was strongly contradicted by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Esteban Conejos Jr. Conejos said they have enough funds. Later, Bichara issued an apology.