Dole ready to provide assistance to OFWs repatriated from Libya

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) on Wednesday urged Filipinos workers in Libya to leave the strife-torn country, saying that they will be assisted once they arrive in the Philippines.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) earlier raised the alert level from II to III in Tripoli and several districts in Libya in the wake of the continuing violence near the country’s capital.

But despite the continued call of the Philippine government for Filipinos to go home, many still refuse to leave their jobs.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, however, said that the labor department is ready to assist repatriated Filipinos to find jobs in the Philippines or overseas.

“We will help them in getting alternative employment opportunities, especially that most OFWs coming from Libya are nurses and medical workers and we have a market for them in Germany, and in Israel where they need a lot of caregivers and health workers,” Bello said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net.

“But if they want to stay [in the Philippines] and look for job offerings then we can also provide assistance to them,” Bello added.

The Labor chief said Filipinos repatriated from Libya will also receive P20,000 in cash on top of the entrepreneurial assistance they will get if they decide to start a business here.

“We also have a scholarship program for the children of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers),” Bello said.

Bello, however, said that no one had approached Dole for the assistance.

As of posting time, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said 11 Filipinos had been repatriated from Libya.

Bello also renewed his call for Filipinos in Libya to be repatriated for their safety.

“We are calling our countrymen there to go home for their safety. We have to do more convincing to have them repatriated,” Bello said. /ee

READ: Dole sending team to help repatriate OFWs in Libya