According to Filipinos in Lebanon urged to leave while Beirut airport is open | Global News (inquirer.net), on October 22, while the Beirut airport was still operating, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) encouraged Filipino nationals living in Lebanon to think about leaving and take advantage of the government's repatriation program.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut issued an advice stating that the Embassy of the Philippines urges for the voluntary repatriation of Filipino citizens due to the increased tension along Lebanon's southern border.
Prior to this, Eduardo de Vega, the Foreign Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, stated that alert level 3 had been increased in Lebanon and that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there could choose to return home voluntarily in order to avoid becoming entangled in fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah terrorists.
According to Filipinos in Lebanon urged to leave while Beirut airport is open | Global News (inquirer.net), DFA statistics indicates that around 17,500 Filipinos are residing in Lebanon.
Citing significant tension in the area, De Vega explained that elevating Alert Level 3 in Lebanon was not an alarm but rather a precaution for Filipinos.
Prior to now, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon sent out a warning to its citizens, cautioning them to use caution and stay away from public areas, events, and domestic travel—especially in the south of the country—unless absolutely essential.
Along with information and support, according to Filipinos in Lebanon urged to leave while Beirut airport is open | Global News (inquirer.net), the government established a help center for Filipinos living abroad who were impacted by the widespread demonstrations in Lebanon during the tensions along the Israel-Gaza border.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided support for the government's establishment of the help desk.
Anthony Mandap, the deputy head of mission and consul general at the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, said that 25 additional OFWs from Israel are anticipated to arrive in Manila on Monday.
This most recent group of Filipino laborers was supposed to depart on Sunday, according to Mandap.
Since the most recent outburst of violence between Israel and Hamas, 32 OFWs have been sent home as of Friday.
The bulk of the 30,000 or so Filipinos who live and work in Israel are caretakers.
According to Filipinos in Lebanon urged to leave while Beirut airport is open | Global News (inquirer.net), four Filipinos who died in the Hamas assaults and one OFW who went missing have been confirmed by the government.
The DFA has been searching for methods to get Filipinos out of the combat zones ever before the crisis escalated, according to Filipinos in Lebanon urged to leave while Beirut airport is open | Global News (inquirer.net), particularly when the Philippine government mandated their forced departure from Gaza on October 15.
