Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)
MANILA – The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is recommending “voluntary repatriation” of Filipinos living in Lebanon as border tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega advised the estimated 17,500 Filipinos there ”to get ready and consider repatriation”.
As of this writing, the DFA has yet to officially announce the raising of Alert Level 3 or voluntary repatriation phase in the country.
"We are just awaiting formal written designation but our embassy in Beirut (is) acting on (the) presumption that it is now Level 3," he said in a text message.
In the southern portion of Lebanon bordering Israel, De Vega said some 67 Filipinos have started to evacuate.
“Pero sa buong Lebanon, nire-recommend ng ating embahada na magkaroon ng parang voluntary repatriation na iaalok namin sa mga Pilipino na kung puwede umuwi na kayo (But for the whole Lebanon, the embassy has recommended there be voluntary repatriation that we can offer to Filipinos, that if possible go home),” he said in a separate Radyo Pilipinas interview.
“Kung sino man ang uuwi tutulungan namin i-repatriate (To whoever wants to go home, we will assist),” he added.
The Philippine Embassy, in its last advisory dated Oct. 19, said there had been ongoing mass protests across the country and “persistent tension” in the southern border.
The United States and the United Kingdom have earlier advised its citizens to leave Lebanon while flights are still available.
Last Oct. 17, the US Department of State raised its travel advisory level 4 in Lebanon and authorized the family members of US government personnel and some non-emergency personnel to leave “due to the unpredictable security situation” in the country. (PNA)
