443 Filipinos in Libya board PHL evacuation ship

The 65 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) repatriated from Libya thru the effort of the Philippine government arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday (June 23, 2014) in Pasay City. (PNA photos by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA, Aug. 14 (PNA)—A total of 443 Filipinos stranded in violence-plagued Libya have boarded the evacuation ship commissioned by the Philippine government, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

The ship arrived in Benghazi on Wednesday afternoon, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said.

They will be joined by another group of about 365 Filipinos in Misrata, where the ship with a 1,500 passenger capacity is scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon.

Jose said the Filipinos will be transported to Malta, where they will take direct flights to Manila on board Philippine Airlines.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippine government will no longer hire a ship that will be used for the evacuation of Filipinos in Libya.

“There will be no ship after this,” Del Rosario said, adding “it’s difficult to support another ship” as many Filipinos are still reluctant to leave Libya.

However, he said those who would later on decide to leave, may join the Philippine government evacuation by land via Egypt or Tunisia.

The Philippine government shoulders the travel expenses of Filipino evacuees. However, there are several companies in Libya that pay for the evacuation of their Filipino employees.

Manila enforced the mass evacuation of its workers in Libya last June due to the deteriorating security and widespread violence in the North African state.

Last July, a Filipino construction worker was beheaded by militants, while a Filipina nurse was gang-raped, the DFA said.