March 12, 2011, 7:20pm
MANILA, Philippines — Some 8,000 Filipino medical workers have opted to stay in strife-torn Libya, saying it is their duty to save life whether they are Filipinos or foreigners.
This was bared by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) after almost completing the first phase of operation to get overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) out of Libya.
Undersecretary Esteban Conejos of the DFA Migrant Affairs Office reported to the progress of the evacuation of OFWs in Libya in a short press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after his arrival last Friday.
Conejos said the dedication and bravery of the medical workers showed the true color of Filipinos.
Conejos also said the government had already sent home 7,000 to 8,000 OFWs as of last Friday in coordination with the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the foreign employers.
Conejos said that during his 10-day stay in Libya, his team had a hard time convincing some OFWs to go back to the country because they reasoned out that they could not get in the Philippines the same salary they were receiving in Libya.
At least 300 more OFWs will be returning home in the next few days, and were just waiting for their flights, he said.
In a related development, two insurance companies have agreed to reimburse the cost of some recruitment agencies in repatriating their workers from Libya, according to the head of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Carlos Cao Jr.
Cao made the statement in a phone interview amid reports that some insurance firms had refused to reimburse some agencies who were sending home their workers.
“During the House Committee on OFW Affairs last Wednesday, Philippine-Charter and Paramount Life insurance agreed to pay the claims of recruitment agencies regardless of its legal issue,” he said.