18 Albayanos coming home from Libya

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—The good news: At least 18 Albayanos who fled Libya are now on their way home.

The bad news: They are returning with hardly any money and no assurance of jobs in their hometowns.

The bottom line, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said on Monday, is they are safe and will be reunited soon with their families.

The provincial government, which has been monitoring the condition of workers from Albay trapped in Libya, said that 18 Albayanos arrived on Monday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and were on their way to Albay.

Some 100 others are still in the eastern part of Libya, according to Christian Marte, spokesperson for the group. He said in an e-mail to the Inquirer that the workers were left to fend for themselves by their employers 10 days ago.

Marte’s plea for help prompted Salceda to order the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) to set up a help desk for Albayanos and other Bicolanos trapped in Libya.

Marte’s group was scheduled to arrive at Naia on Monday midnight and would be heading immediately to their respective provinces, said Apsemo head Cedric Daep.

Aside from Marte’s group, Daep said Apsemo had accounted for 63 other Albayanos under Salvador Refran, an engineer, who stood as emergency coordinator for Albayanos in Libya from various drilling, construction sites and oil rig companies.

Apsemo has been coordinating with officials of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Foreign Affairs in giving assistance to Albayanos in Libya.

Apsemo also has created a Facebook account in which experiences, complaints and updates are exchanged among the workers, their families and other stakeholders.

At least 251 Bicolanos need assistance to repatriate from Libya, Daep said. They include 98 from Camarines Sur, 85 from Albay, 29 from Camarines Norte, 25 from Sorsogon, 8 from Catanduanes and six from Masbate.

Mayor Cherry Mella-Sampal of Polangui in Albay on Monday said that the municipal government had allocated an emergency assistance of P5,000 for each of the 20 resident returnees from Libya.

The assistance covers transportation, accommodation and other expenses from Naia to Polangui, she said.