FILE PHOTO
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—A Filipino worker in Libya has signed up for repatriation to the Philippines. But Ernesto Begot Jr., who is from Barangay Bata in Bacolod, said several other workers from Negros Occidental have decided to stay in Libya despite the heavy fighting.
Begot and Anthony Napallatan, a native of Binalbagan in Negros Occidental, will board the ship sent by the Philippine government on Sunday that will sail to Malta.
Begot said he and those returning home were hoping they would find jobs through the Negros Occidental or Bacolod City governments when they return to the country.
Both had been working at the Al Jalla Trauma Hospital Benghazi as Intensive Care Unit nurses, but the facility closed down for a month.
In a chat with Inquirer through FaceBook, Begot said the medical staff refused to report for work due to fear after militias took control of their hospital in June.
“There is heavy fighting in Tripoli and in Benghazi. There is sporadic fighting every night and daily assassinations,” he wrote.
Still, he added, many Negrenses in Benghazi who constantly contact him refuse to go home, he said.
“There are three from Talisay City, one from Bago City, two from Bacolod City, two from Silay City and one from Binalbagan who are undecided about going home and are choosing to stay in Benghazi,” he said.
He said they wanted to get the benefits due them from hospitals where they had worked for a long time.
Begot said he was able to communicate with his family in Bacolod City on a daily basis as the Internet connection is “slightly okay.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs hopes to get more than 2,000 Filipino workers out of Libya by the end of the week, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said Thursday.
Jose said the Filipinos will leave Libya via two exit routes —by land through the Libyan border with Tunisia, and by sea, through a rented ship bound for Malta.
Only those from Benghazi and Misrata will board the ship for Malta, from where they will be flown directly to Manila through chartered Philippine Airlines planes.
The ship, which was hired by the Philippine government for $1.8 million, will pick up Filipinos in the ports of Benghazi and Misrata on August 10 and 11, respectively. It is scheduled to reach Malta on August 12.
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