MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Saturday welcomed home 73-year-old Zenaida Caritativo Macanyanan, who returned to the Philippines after 43 years of service as a domestic worker in Lebanon.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac personally greeted Macanyanan and her fellow overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Tessie Caritativo Mosquito upon their arrival at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City on November 1, conveying President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s warm congratulations for her remarkable dedication.

Macanyanan was recently recognized by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Lebanon as the Oldest OFW Awardee during the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Migrant Workers Day, led by Labor Attaché Adam A. Musa.

According to the DMW, Macanyanan first arrived in Lebanon on December 8, 1982, and has since served the same Lebanese household for more than four decades — enduring the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Israeli invasion, and several regional conflicts involving Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

A widow, Macanyanan managed to raise two children who are now also OFWs — her daughter works as a registered midwife in Israel, while her son is employed as a gardener for the same Lebanese family.

Secretary Cacdac lauded Macanyanan for her “perseverance, loyalty, and excellence,” saying her story embodies the strength and resilience of Filipino migrant workers.

“Her dedication and passion in service are among the many stories that Filipinos can be proud of,” Cacdac said.

Both Macanyanan and Mosquito received ₱50,000 each in financial assistance from the AKSYON Fund to support their reintegration into their communities.