BORONGAN, Eastern
Samar – Governor Ben P. Evardone of Eastern Samar negotiated
with the Secretary of the DOLE to rescue some of his constituent-OFW-Domestic
Helpers deployed to Lebanon. Earlier the governor provided free calls
direct to the warring country for relatives to personally call and
check their condition.
More or less nine (9)
arrived safe one from Borongan and Sulat, three from San Julian., four
others from Balangkayan as of press time. Evardone is expecting more.
Reports from the Provincial Jobs Promotion and Placement Center (PJPPC)
confirmed more OFWs from Eastern Samar were deployed only few months
ago. Personally a staff of the PJPPC called OFW in Lebanon and they
confirmed the difficult situation.
However, some seemed
to tolerate their fear thinking about being jobless back home.
According to them their employer tags them to safe houses and
evacuation centers with their family and this according to Annie Baris
of Balangkayan, it was dreadful hearing bombings and seeing buildings
fall. Her lady employer was not considerate. She has to escape and ran
for her life. Just like other lucky OFWs she was able to reach the
parish of the Filipino priest.
Nelia Abenis of
Borongan considered herself lucky because her employer gave her the
freedom to decide to go home, others according to her were locked up
in the house while their employer ran for their lives.
Another OFW narrated
an incident when the Philippine Rescue Team in Lebanon even went
house-to house for OFWs whose addresses were forwarded and within the
identified safe grounds. Some went into hunger strike and even
pretended sick just to convince their employer that they be allowed to
go home.
Evardone called
Secretary Arturo Brion of DOLE and personally reported the cases of
those Eastern Samareño-OFWs still in
Lebanon
(believed to be in the hands of their employers) and has submitted to
the governor’s office for help: Lucia Godimo, Clarites Valderama,
Heide Gereña and Elizabeth Yape.
Meanwhile Governor
Evardone provided a counseling service to war-shocked OFWs and started
negotiation with TESDA for possible assistance to these dislocated
workers: Roy Reyes - San Julian, Rize Guerera - San Julian, Eleanor
Obaldo - San Julian, Anatolia Talon - Sulat, Nida Ejada - Balangkayan,
Jenalyn Baris - Balangkayan, Agapita Baris - Balangkayan, Annie Baris
- Balangkayan, Nelia Abenis - Borongnan.
