The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is recommending the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos living in Lebanon as border tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.
The DFA also advised Filipinos in Egypt to take precaution as protest actions are expected across the country.
In Saudi Arabia, President Marcos raised the alarm over the rising number of casualties—including four Filipinos —amid the ongoing clash between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
“The Philippines is deeply concerned about the rising number of victims and the safety of all persons, as well as the dire humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Israel and in Gaza,” Mr. Marcos said in his intervention during the first ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh.
“We hope that all parties will exert their utmost efforts to de-escalate the situation, stop all violence, and engage in dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.
In Manila, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said while Alert Level 3 has yet to be raised over Lebanon, it is best for the estimated 17,500 Filipinos there “to get ready and consider repatriation.”
“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 the southern portion of Lebanon bordering Israel, De Vega said some 67 Filipinos have started to evacuate.
“For the whole of Lebanon, the embassy has recommended there be voluntary repatriation that we can offer to Filipinos… We will assist whoever wants to go home,” he added in a radio interview.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut said in its Oct. 19 advisory that there have 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.
On Oct. 17, the US Department of State raised its travel advisory to 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.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Cairo also issued an advisory after noting that there are “currently random marches/demonstrations in Egypt, including others planned for the future.”
The embassy urged Filipinos there to exercise caution as well as keep away from mass congregations and stay at home if possible.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, for its part, said it was hoping for a miracle for the two Filipinos who remained unaccounted for in Israel.
OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio said there were still no reports on the whereabouts of the two missing Filipinos.
“We cannot reveal more details, but OWWA is on top of these cases, ” Ignacio said in a radio interview.
There are some 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, mostly working as caregivers, while 131 Filipinos have fled to the southern part of Gaza Strip in the hopes of crossing to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing.