Courtesy: Crisis Group
THE Philippine Embassy in Beirut is preparing for potential mass repatriations of Filipinos in Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Wednesday.
“Our Embassy in Beirut, led by Ambassador Raymmond Balatbat, has been coordinating with the Filipino community to take necessary steps for mass repatriation if the need arises, the violence escalates, and it starts affecting areas where Filipinos reside,” said DFA Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.
Ferrer emphasized that Philippine authorities are not yet imposing mandatory repatriation in Lebanon, as many Filipinos there prefer to stay.
Currently, Alert Level 3 remains in effect for Lebanon, allowing Filipinos to voluntarily repatriate. Alert Level 4, which would trigger mandatory evacuation, may be raised if there is a “large-scale internal conflict or full-blown external attack” in the area.
The DFA reported that over 11,000 Filipinos are in Lebanon, with the majority being female household service workers.
So far, over 500 Filipinos have returned to the Philippines from Lebanon, and an additional 1,205 have expressed their intention to repatriate within the past 48 hours, according to the DFA.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut has been urging Filipinos to evacuate while commercial flights are still available amidst the ongoing rocket exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah.
The DFA official also confirmed that no Filipinos have been reported injured or killed in the ongoing hostilities.
“We are grateful that, thanks to God, no Filipino has been hurt in the successive waves of Hezbollah attacks in Lebanon, including the neighborhood in southern Beirut known as a Hezbollah enclave,” Ferrer said.
“The DFA wants to reassure everyone that the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon and our officials in Manila are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our countrymen in Lebanon,” he added.
