BY MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City – Six residents of this city working in strife-torn Libya have returned.
The six were part of the 28 Negrenses from the North African country that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) repatriated since June.
Mayor Monico Puentevella said Dennis Cataluna, January Win Love Koch, Condrad Pelago, Leocadio Laurilla, Anna May Bajilidad and Evaleen Alova will be provided with financial assistance.
DFA declared Crisis Alert Level 4 in Libya on July 20 due to the ongoing armed conflict there.
This led to the issuance of a total deployment ban and the implementation of the mandatory repatriation program.
Bacolod City’s Department of Social Welfare and Development has a livelihood program for returning overseas Filipino workers, and those from Libya may seek its help, said Pacita Tero, department head.
Tero said the six may also avail themselves of assistance from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office via the city government.
Cataluna returned on July 3 and Koch on June 9. They were given non-cash benefits from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
On the other hand, Pelago, Laurilla, Bajilidad and Alova received P10,000 cash each from OWWA.
DFA reiterated its appeal to all remaining Filipinos in Libya to immediately reach out to the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli to register for repatriation.
Data from DFA showed that the total of repatriated Filipinos from Libya reached 2,727 as of August 18.
The government continues to urge Filipinos in Libya as well as their relatives in the country to coordinate with authorities to bring them home safely.
“Nananawagan muli ang pamahalaan sa lahat ng mga Pilipino na nananatili sa Libya na makipag-ugnayan sa embahada sa Tripoli at magparehistro na para matulungang makabalik sa bansa sa lalong madaling panahon,” said Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. of the Presidential Communication Operations Office in Malacañang.
Contact details of the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli, Libya are as follows: (00218) 918-244-208 / (00218) 914-370-399 / (00218) 945-348-481 with email addresses: tripoli.pe@gmail.com and tripoli.pe@dfa.gov.ph./PN
