3 Boholana OFW evacuees now safely home - OWWAD

AMIDST the speculations launched by Senators on the alleged “malversation” of Overseas Workers' Welfare Assistance (OWWA) funds, at least three Boholano Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs) are now safely “home”, their relatives believe their OWWA contributions paid for their trip.

The OWWA Desk (OWWAD) at the Office of Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera here revealed that Boholanas from Bayacabac Maribojoc, Virgen Anda and Antequera are among the Filipinos who took the first plane out of Lebanon when the evacuations started.

When the war broke out in Lebanon following the Israel 's campaign against Hezbollah guerillas about a month ago, Boholano relatives worried of their kin in Lebanon sought Herrera's intercession. They sought for the immediate evacuation of their relatives so they could not be sandwiched in the crossfire. The situation worsened when Israeli bombings have gone to Hezbollah targets in Beirut , to pressure Lebanon to intercede for Hezbollah militants and press them to release Israeli hostages.

Since the war broke, Teresita Rabuya Barcinas, a mother of two who worked as a canteen attendant at the American University of Science and Technology in Sahle has sent a text message to her parents that she, with her employer were “hiding in a tunnel” in Lebanon. The tunnel could also be construed as an air raid shelter, which Mideast countries have built for raids. Another domestic helper in Beirut , Mary Ann Ilangga, married, complained of a thyroid cancer and was accordingly detained at the agency in Beirut until she could pay P6OT. When the evacuation started, Filipinos in Lebanon were then pulled out and Ilangga was among them. It was not clear if the evacuation has cleared her of the problems with her agency and her employers.

Estela Guarderama, from Antequera was also another evacuated OFW. No reports however detail if she also belongs to the documented OFWs or simply one of the thousands who worked without government trace. From the OWWA, the three OFWs are among the first batch of evacuees who arrived Sunday, July 23, OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque said in a letter to Herrera. Weeks ago, from Lebanon , Chona Lamberte of Mariveles, Dauis called her sister Marilou Lamberte Villanueva, telling her she was trapped in Beirut . She also said her travel documents were brought by her employer who fled and left her behind.

The OWWAD has already asked for OWWA intercession for her. Succeeding interviews with Boholano kin of the homing OFWS said the first evacuees were delayed but nevertheless arrived Sunday via a $30T Jordan Air OWWA chartered flight which flew from neighboring Syria. It was also assumed by the relatives that the money spent for the chartered transportation came from their $25 OWWA contributions. Last August 8, OWWA resident auditor Gemiliano Maloles testified that some P7.1B OWWA funds are intact contrary to what Senator Estrada has speculated as ill-spent by the Arroyo Administration.

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