Manila: The Philippine government is ‘seriously considering’ placing Lebanon under alert level 4 or mandatory evacuation as Israel continues to bombard Hezbollah targets in some parts of the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

In a press briefing, DFA Undersecretary for Migration Eduardo Jose de Vega said there is no mass repatriation of Filipinos in Lebanon yet but the country is ready to implement one should the need arises.

He noted, however, that alert level 4 is declared only in case of a large-scale internal conflict or a full-blown external attack, which is ‘not the case in Lebanon’.

‘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.

‘The Israelis have confirmed that there are no plans for a ground invasion of Lebanon. So, the Philippine government still constantly urges Filipino nationals to avail themselves of our voluntary repatriation program,’ he added.

De Vega
and Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat added that the majority of the Filipinos there, especially the Filipino community leaders are ‘very hesitant to leave,’ a sign that they ‘still feel relatively safe in Lebanon’.

“Majority of them, the old-timers, are adamant that they will not leave whatever happens, that they will survive this conflict. And these are the leaders,” Balatbat said.

The envoy, who joined the presser virtually, said the official number of Filipinos in Lebanon is around 11,000 but this could be higher due to ‘undocumented’ nationals.

Of this number, the embassy is processing the return of some 1,300 Filipinos, with the next batch of repatriation expected to take place in the first week of October depending on the commercial flights in Beirut’s international airport.

Balatbat also reported that the 196 Filipinos residing in southern Lebanon, where the heavy fighting is concentrated, have all fled and are now taking shelter in safer places in the country.

‘So far, still no F
ilipino 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,’ De Vega said.

The series of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah has killed over 600 since Monday, according to local reports.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the Security Council that ‘hell is breaking loose in Lebanon’ along the UN-patrolled line of separation, with exchanges of fire increasing in ‘scope, depth, and intensity’.

Israel has earlier rejected a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah and vowed to continue its ‘full force’ strikes against the group, raising concerns of a larger regional conflict.

‘While this is happening, the Philippines reiterates its call to all parties to prevent further escalation and urge for a peaceful solution to the conflict in the region- a very important region where millions of overseas Filipinos work and r
eside,’ De Vega said.

DMW assures evacuation support

Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) assured that it remains in close contact with Filipino communities in Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, emphasizing efforts for the safe evacuation and repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In a Friday interview, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the DMW is collaborating with the DFA to ensure the security of Filipinos in the war-torn country.

“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,” Cacdac said.

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.

“Ninety-nine percent of OFWs in Lebanon work in households, and we understand that some may
be staying due to loyalty or necessity. However, we are encouraging voluntary repatriation for their safety,” Cacdac added.

He assured that the DMW, along with labor attachés and teams on the ground, is ready to assist those who choose to return.

As of Friday, 430 OFWs have been repatriated with the help of the DMW, DFA, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). An additional two batches of 50 OFWs are expected to arrive in the coming days.

Currently, Lebanon remains under Alert Level 3, allowing for voluntary repatriation, but the situation is rapidly deteriorating due to intensified Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions.

Source: Philippines News Agency