Government Reminds OFWs Not To Go To Lebanon

The government reminds Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) that entering to Lebanon is still prohibited since deployment ban against Lebanon still exists.

This was after Lebanon fails to create a law that will provide protection and assistance to foreign workers particularly to OFWs.

In an interview with Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto Asuque via vice president Noli De Castro’s radio program, the ambassador said that Philippines is still waiting for Lebanese government to approve a law protecting foreign workers.

“There are no laws to protect Filipinos there. Their labor laws only apply to Lebanese. They saw there were things that needed to be addressed. W are letting Lebanon draw up the law, which is an internal matter,” Asuque explained.

In June, the country had invited the Lebanese government for negotiation regarding the proposed memorandum of agreement on labor cooperation which will provide jobs and protection to OFWs. The negotiation is still on going.

Asuque later denied report which claims that some Filipino workers who ran away from their Lebanese employers and sought shelter at the Filipino workers resources Center (FWRC) at the Philippine embassy in Beirut that they were detained in the basement of the building.

“They are not detainees because they are not imprisoned. The detainees are the ones who are brought to the immigration centers. Here at FWRC, they are free to roam around the building. They can’t go out because they don’t have immigration papaers,” Asuque said.

Asuque said that the government has funds to repatriate the Filipino runaways however their employers refused to give them exit clearance.

Some Lebanese employers demand USD3,000 to USD4,000 to runaway OFWs before granting their exit clearance.

Asuque reminds OFWs not to enter Lebanon or apply in any recruitment agencies that offer jobs in Lebanon.

“We appeal to our countrymen not to go to Lebanon until there is enough protection for Filipino workers,” Asuque said.