DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                        2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                     Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-615-06                                                                                                                                                                                                                             19 July 2006

DFA, DOLE, OWWA BEGIN REPATRIATION OF OFWs IN LEBANON,  
IMPLEMENT “OPLAN – SAGIP OFW SA LEBANON” 

19 July 2006 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have started the repatriation of over 200 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in war-torn Lebanon as the three government agencies commence the implementation of “Oplan – Sagip OFW sa Lebanon.” 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo and Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo D. Brion presided over a meeting this morning of the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) or Team Lebanon to review the latest reports from Philippine Embassies and Consulates General particularly the Philippine Embassies in Lebanon and Israel on the efforts to implement the instructions of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to place the OFWs in Lebanon out of harm’s way. 

The following actions are now being implemented pursuant to the instructions of President Arroyo under  “Oplan – Sagip OFW sa Lebanon”:  

1. All options are open to ensure the safety of the OFWs.
2. The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon starts the immediate repatriation to the Philippines of over 200 OFWs now at the safe relocation sites at the Christian side of Beirut, specifically the relocation center at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Sassine, Beirut, around 8 km from the Embassy.  The Embassy will transport the OFWs by bus from Beirut to Damascus, Syria, about 190 kilometers and 3 to 4 hours travel, where a plane is ready to fly them to Dubai and then to Manila.
3. The repatriation will now be a continuing effort although the status of the contingency plan in Lebanon remains at Alert Level 3, meaning the Filipinos should proceed to the designated safe zones or relocation sites in coordination with the Embassy.
4. Five transit or staging points in four countries have been designated for the repatriation of the Filipinos, namely, Cyprus, Turkey, Rhodes in Greece, and Damascus and Tartūs in Syria.
5. DFA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael E. Seguis is now in Damascus, Syria to coordinate the  reception of the OFWs in Damascus.  Ambassador Roy Cimatu, Head of the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Team, is now in Dubai and will immediately proceed to Beirut to lead in the full implementation of the contingency plan. 
6. Undersecretary Seguis and Ambassador Cimatu shall also arrange for the chartering of a passenger ship that could ferry the next batch of OFWs from Lebanon to any of the five transit points. 
7. Philippine Ambassador to Greece Rigoberto D. Tiglao is en route to Cyprus to lay the ground work for the reception in Limassol port of the OFWs and escort them by land to the Larnaca Airport for the immediate flight to Manila for the next batch of OFWs.
8. Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim A. Guinomla is making representations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey to facilitate the entry and assistance for OFWs who could be repatriated via Turkey. 
9. Philippine Ambassador to Israel Antonio C. Modena has made representations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel for the safe passage of Filipinos from Lebanon to any of the five transit or staging points.   Ambassador Modena is coordinating closely with Israeli authorities to ensure that safe passage is accorded to the OFWs going to the transit points from Lebanon. 
10. Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Jose P. del Rosario is coordinating with Ambassador Modena in ensuring the safe passage of the OFWs to the transit points.
11. Secretary Romulo has spoken with Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Yehoshua Sagi to convey to Tel Aviv the Philippine request for the safe passage of Filipinos from Lebanon to any of the five transit points.  Ambassador Sagi said he will promptly convey the request to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
12. Special Envoy to the Gulf States Amable Aguiluz V is making representations with the Gulf States especially Bahrain for their assistance in the airlift of OFWs who may be passing to any of these States en route to Manila.
13. Chargé d’Affaires (CDA), a.i. Evan P. Garcia of the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., USA has made representations with the US State Department, through the Operations Center, for assistance in the repatriations of Filipinos in Lebanon.  CDA Garcia informed Secretary Romulo that “the State Department advised that although the first priority of the US side is the evacuation of American nationals, the US Government will try to help evacuate Filipinos as well, to the extent that it would be safe to do so, and within the limits of available resources.”  CDA Garcia added that “in order to extend assistance, the State Department said that as much information as possible is needed on the numbers, location and identifies of Filipinos to be evacuated.” Secretary Romulo directed Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. to provide the requested information to the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C.
14. The DFA, through the Office of European Affairs, is transmitting Notes Verbale to the Embassies in Manila of France, United Kingdom and Italy for their assistance in accommodating the OFWs in their respective vessels out of Lebanon, and instructed the Philippine Embassies in Paris, London and Rome to make similar representations with their Ministries of Foreign Affairs.  Secretary Romulo has spoken with UK Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham to seek the assistance of Her Majesty’s Government in the repatriation of Filipinos in Lebanon.   Ambassador Beckingham assured Secretary Romulo of his assistance in conveying the Philippine request.
15. The Department has issued the necessary instructions to the concerned Philippine Embassies and Consulates General on the release of the funds to implement “Oplan – Sagip OFW sa Lebanon.”
16. All Philippine Embassies and Consulates General in the Middle East are now providing assistance, coordination and support for the OFWs who may pass through their jurisdictions in the course of the repatriation. 

Secretary Romulo and Secretary Brion stressed, “We assure the Filipino people that the DFA, DOLE and OWWA are working together to fully implement the instructions of President Arroyo that all OFWs in Lebanon must be kept out of harms way.  We have allocated all resources and manpower to ensure that the President’s orders are carried out.  We ask the Filipino people to now join us in prayer for the success of the Government’s efforts to ensure the safety of the OFWs and to reunite them with their families back home.”  END

/jay

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