THE number of Filipinos injured in the massive blast in Beirut, Lebanon last Tuesday rose to 24 from eight, while all seafarers earlier reported missing following the blast are safe and accounted for, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
“Philippine Embassy in Beirut reports latest tally of affected OFWs (overseas Filipino workers): 24 injured mostly household service workers, 2 fatalities, and 1 missing,” said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay Jr.
He said except for one who is in critical condition, all injured Filipinos are in stable condition with only minor wounds.
Dulay said the search for the missing OFW is ongoing.
On Wednesday night, the DFA reported that the 10 Filipino seamen earlier reported as missing were found safe and accounted for.
“The 10 suffered minor injuries and are now with the management of the shipping company at Ain el Mraiseh in Beirut. This leaves one seafarer still missing,” the DFA said.
The DFA also said the embassy did not suffer any physical damage from the blast which devastated Beirut’s port area, and all its officials and personnel are accounted for.
It said the embassy is in communication with the Filipino community
and local authorities in Beirut.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Saral Lou Arriola said
the embassy was able account for 13 seafarers and that charge d’affaires Ajeet Panemanglor visited eight of them staying at their company accommodation.
“Five of the seafarers were at the hospital for another medical check-up when embassy officials arrived. Another visit is scheduled today to meet the remaining mariners,” Arriola said on Thursday afternoon.
She said the seafarers are crew members of the cruise ship Orient Queen which was docked at Beirut port when the blast occurred.
Arriola said the cruise ship sustained significant damage.
There are more than 33,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, 75 percent of whom are in the greater Beirut area.
Hundreds of Filipino workers in Lebanon could lose their jobs because of the explosion and would be forced to come home, according to recruitment consultant Manny Geslani.
“Conservatively, about 500 to 700 OFWs may lose their jobs, especially with thousands of household service workers (HSWs) working in the condominiums and apartments, which were totally demolished by the huge explosions,” he said. “It could even reach 2,000 or more depending on the loss of homes of employers,” he added.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said job displacement in Lebanon is “possible” but he has yet to receive any request for repatriation from displaced OFWs.
Records shows there are about 19,000 documented and 12,000 undocumented workers in Lebanon, with more than 90 percent employed as HSWs. — With Gerard Naval
