THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) announced that they are preparing for the voluntary repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Libya, following escalating violence there, as reported by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“We have to prepare for that and convene the board of the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration),” Mr. Bello said of DoLE’s attached agency in a radio interview on Tuesday. “Because as soon as we receive that official report from the Department of Foreign Affairs alleviating the alert level to 3, we will have to come up with a board resolution of POEA, declaring a total ban of deployment to Libya.”

DFA reported last Monday that it had raised the crisis level from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3, which signals voluntary repatriation of OFWs and total deployment ban to Libya. This also means OFWs in the strife-torn country will not be allowed to return there.

The DFA has called on OFWs in Tripoli to avail themselves of repatriation. OFWs within a 100-kilometer radius from Tripoli are also urged to be repatriated. The said areas are Tajoura, Ghot Romman, Qaraboli, Qasr Khiyar, Esbea, Tarhuna, Bani Waled, Gharyan, Aziziya, Warshifana, Zawia, Surman, and Sabratha.

Mr. Bello said OFWs who wish to be repatriated can go to the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Libya as repatriation is free of charge. “Kung gusto nilang umuwi na (If they want to go home), they can just go to our office and we will immediately facilitate their repatriation,” he said. — G.M.C.

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