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Sunday, July 23, 2006
2T Pinoys ordered out of southern Lebanon
MANILA -- The Philippine Government on Saturday ordered Filipinos working in southern Lebanon to "pack up and run" as Israeli forces entered a village on the Lebanon border Saturday to stage incursions aimed at destroying Hezbollah positions.
The Department of Foreign Affairs declared alert level four over southern Lebanon. Alert level four is the highest warning, indicating that an attack is imminent, and it is mandatory that Filipino nationals in Lebanon must evacuate to safer ground right away.
"Pack up and run," said Foreign Affairs Spokesman Gilbert Asuque. "All Filipinos, get out of there and go to the embassy or the relocation sites. We don't want our Filipinos to be caught in the crossfire."
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said records of the department and the Embassy show that there are about 2,000 Filipinos in southern Lebanon particularly in Sidon.
Conejos said Ambassador Roy Cimatu, head of the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Team is now organizing the evacuation of the Filipinos in southern Lebanon to the Embassy and the relocation site.
He said the Philippine Government has asked the Vatican to open the doors of more Catholic Churches in Lebanon to Filipinos fleeing the fighting. Two Roman Catholic churches in Beirut have been providing shelter to Filipinos and Thais seeking refuge.
Conejos added that he rest of Lebanon remains at Alert level three, meaning the relocation of all Filipino nationals to pre-designated safe areas.
Israeli forces entered a village in the southeast corner of Lebanon Saturday, but Israeli and Lebanese accounts differed over whether the Israeli military had taken control over the area.
Israel's incursion into Maroun al-Ras came after it pounded the area with bombs and artillery throughout the night. The village is believed to be a launching point for rocket attacks on northern Israel.
Several Israeli soldiers, backed by artillery and tank fire, moved into the large village, Israeli military officials said on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the information, and said it was under Israeli control.
Sun.Star Network Exchange (Sunnex) was able to chance upon the conversation of Felicidad Gudasen and her daughter, Irma Rose Tulauan, 30, who said that the shelling and bomb explosions from afar were enough to make her pack her bags and join her fellow Filipino refugees and head home.
Tulauan called her mother to tell her that although she lives in Beirut as a domestic helper for Lebanese national Jawad Zbib, she wanted to leave and terminate her contract.
Tulauan started to work as a domestic helper in June 10, 2005 and her contract expires in less than a year.
Gudasen said she fears for the safety of her daughter and while speaking to her, she could sense the fear in her daughter's voice.
She sought the help of the non-governmental organization Migrante International to facilitate the repatriation of her daughter.
"Inay, Natatakot na ako. Gusto ko nang umuwi at ayaw ko nang tapusin kontrata ko (Mother, I am so afraid. I want to go home. I don't want to finish my contract anymore)," Tulauan told her mother.
According to Irma, her employer assured her that they are safe and far from southern Lebanon but if the time should come that they need to leave, she will be joining the family of Jawad Zbib into Saudi Arabia.
Tulauan does not want to go to Saudi Arabia but Zbib insists that they still have a working contract and that Talauan should abide by it.
Migrante spokesperson Gary Martinez said Tulauan's case is an example of the absence of an action plan for volatile situations like what happened in Lebanon.
Gudasen said she will continue to ask the help of the government, particularly the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), to mediate on their behalf and seek the release of her daughter from her employment contract.
She laments that an Owwa representative in Beirut gave up on her daughter Irma by saying that they can't help in retrieving Irma.
"Kung mayroon lang akong kakayahan at makakapunta ako duon, sasamahan ko na lang anak ko kahit may giyera na (If only I have the means and I can go there, I will accompany my daughter even if there is already war)," Mrs. Gudanes said.
In other developments:
· The scheduled flight to Manila of some 294 Filipinos earlier evacuated to Damascus, Syria was postponed to Sunday from the Saturday schedule due to technical problems encountered by the chartered Emirates Airlines aircraft.
· The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Archdiocese of Manila have decreed a special prayer for peace between Israel and Lebanon.
· Owwa assures returning Filipinos from Lebanon of free lodging and transportation back to their respective provinces and the availment of Owwa livelihood loan for as long as they remain in the country. (MSN/Dean M. Bernardo/Sunnex)
(July 23, 2006 issue)
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