MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated its call for Filipinos in Lebanon to voluntarily leave the country amid fears a war might spread in the region.
In an online interview with reporters on Monday, DFA Assistant Secretary Roberto Ferrer said that the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos will be “graduated, calibrated”, so as not to sow panic among its nationals.
The DFA earlier raised Crisis Alert Level 3 in Lebanon due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. This means repatriation for Filipino nationals is available but remains voluntary.
In its advisory released last Friday, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon “strongly urges all Filipino citizens to leave Lebanon immediately while the airport remains operational.”
“We advise all Filipino nationals to prioritize their safety and depart the country as soon as possible,” the Advisory read.
(Courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Lebanon)
(Courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Lebanon)
If unable to leave Lebanon, the Embassy strongly recommended evacuation to safer areas outside of Beirut, South Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
In the same online interview, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega underscored the importance of prioritizing safety while the situation is still manageable.
De Vega also mentioned the lessons learned before, when a similar scenario happened in the early 1980’s and 2000's.
“Historically, it has happened before, that there was a full-scale war in Lebanon, because of hostilities between Israel and some forces within that country. In the early 80's, it was the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] who settled in Lebanon,” De Vega explained.
“It's better to be safe. Better to be careful, no? Prudence is a better part of battle. So, in case umakyat yung tensyon, umakyat yung hostilities, sumama pa yung ibang bansa, maging region- wide, baka magiging mas mahirap kasi magsasara na yang airport na yan,” De Vega said.
“Second, kung may giyera, we cannot guarantee any border security. We can, of course, work for a pathway then, but in a war, anything is possible,” De Vega emphasized.
According to the latest data, there are approximately 11,000 Filipinos in Lebanon but only 10 percent expressed interest in going home to the Philippines.
