Courtesy: Le Monde
(EDITORIAL)
THE bombing intensifies in the war in Lebanon, putting at risk the 11,000 overseas Filipino workers living and working there.
Due to the escalating tension, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the evacuation of Filipinos from there by all possible means – whether by air or sea – to save the lives of our compatriots.
The situation there is distressing as per the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the United Nations (UN), the majority of the 170,000 foreign domestic workers in Lebanon are women from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. According to the UN report, many foreign domestic workers in Lebanon are reportedly being abandoned by their employers as they flee their homes amid escalating tensions between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah.
As the situation worsens, the government should no longer hesitate on whether to evacuate Filipino workers or maintain only voluntary evacuation at alert level 3.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), nearly 1,000 Filipino workers in the conflict zone wish to be evacuated.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Marlowe Miranda stated that Filipinos in Beirut oppose the DFA’s decision to raise the alert level to 4 because, aside from signifying mandatory evacuation, they allegedly won’t receive clearance to return to Lebanon.
Nevertheless, the government is prepared in case the Filipinos in Lebanon change their minds. If ships are needed, they are expected to be close to Beirut because once the embassy gives the go signal, those wanting to return home can easily leave without lingering in dangerous areas.
The government cannot afford to be passive in this crisis. The plight of our compatriots trapped in the war demands immediate action.
Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega De Vega confirmed that the Department of Foreign Affairs is arranging an evacuation flight for 182 passengers on Middle East Airlines, the only remaining carrier departing Beirut. The flight is expected to arrive in the Philippines on Friday or Saturday.
The government is prepared for the evacuation of OFWs from Lebanon, but the decision to return or stay in the country they’ve called home for years ultimately lies solely in their hands.
