The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon assured Filipinos back home that their compatriots residing and working there remain safe despite the ongoing unrest, at least, for the meantime.
“We’ve already identified area coordinators for respective areas here in Lebanon. We’ve already identified shelters. In fact, the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) has already identified and recommended a shelter in the event of a truly catastrophic mass evacuation,” Ambassador Raymond Balatbat said at a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) press briefing in Manila.
“And we’ve already been in contact with the Lebanese authorities, immigration authorities. We’ve been in discussions with them on how to facilitate the repatriation of OFWs, especially those who are undocumented. Actually, we’re ready,” he added.
Currently, there are approximately 11,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, although Balatbat noted that a number of them remain undocumented.
In the southern part of Lebanon, where the brunt of the conflict is being felt, at least 196 Filipinos have been fetched and relocated to the capital, Beirut.
Feedback from community leaders and area coordinators indicates that the majority of Filipinos prefer to stay in Lebanon.
Out of the initial 1,000 who applied for repatriation, at least half of them later withdrew their applications.
Balatbat explained that most Filipinos in Lebanon have not expressed serious concern about the escalating conflict, emphasizing that some of them have stated that they are accustomed to it due to the conflict’s long-standing presence in the country.
He addressed that Filipinos “would rather take their chances” in Lebanon than go home, as they have survived most of the wars.
The envoy also pointed out that loyalty plays a significant role, with many Filipinos feeling a deep care for their employers due to years of service.
Meanwhile, DFA Undersecretary for Migration Eduardo De Vega confirmed that the Philippine government remains on Alert Level 3 concerning Filipino nationals in Lebanon.
However, he admitted that they are “seriously considering” the declaration of Alert Level 4, which will call for mandatory evacuation of Filipinos amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Hezbollah targets in the Middle Eastern country.
“The Philippine government continually encourages nationals to take advantage of our voluntary repatriation program. This message has been communicated through regular advisories and town hall meetings held between the embassy and the Filipino community in Lebanon,” De Vega stated.
He explained that Alert Level 4 will be declared once the conflict spreads further across Lebanon, or if Israel launches a full-blown attack, which is not yet the case.
“We know that the conflict is centered between Israel and Hezbollah targets and not the entirety of Lebanon, certainly not the Lebanese government,” he said.
“[But] if Alert Level 4 is eventually declared, we will be ready to evacuate them. We are coordinating these preparations with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the DMW’s office in Beirut,” he added.
De Vega assured that assistance, including financial aid, is guaranteed for repatriated Filipinos through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reintegration program.
“So far, still no Filipino has been reported injured due to the wake of attacks against Hezbollah targets in the past few days, you can sense that there is an escalation of the attacks against Hezbollah but they have not yet resulted in injury to a Filipino,” the DFA official noted.
As this developed, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac assured his office remains in close contact with Filipino communities in Lebanon and is coordinating with other agencies in drawing up plans for evacuating them.
“We are working closely with the DFA to prioritize the in-country evacuation of our fellow Filipinos. Currently, we have identified around 97 OFWs from Southern Lebanon, and efforts are underway to transport them safely to Beirut,” he said on Friday.
Cacdac noted that the DMW has prepared shelters in Beirut for those who wish to evacuate, and from there, the department will facilitate their repatriation through Beirut International Airport.
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