Filipinos in Lebanon 'still feel safe'

Israel begins ground offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
An Israeli tank manoeuvres in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. AP Photo
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DESPITE the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, Filipinos there refuse to go back home as “they still feel safe,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) secretary Cesar Chavez said Thursday, October 10, 2024.

In a radio interview, Chavez said that while the Philippine government is ready to conduct repatriation to ensure their safety, the majority of the around 10,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, which includes overseas Filipino workers and those married to locals, are choosing to stay.

“Most of Filipinos there are married to locals or household service workers employed by Christians and Sunni. They feel that they are safe since they are not the target, which is the Shiite Muslims of Hezbollah,” Chavez said.

While some choose to stay to keep their jobs, Chavez assured that Filipinos returning to the Philippines will receive financial and livelihood assistance through the Department of Migrant Workers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and other government agencies, including the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered on Wednesday, October 9, the evacuation of Filipinos from conflict-stricken Lebanon “by whatever means.”

Marcos convened a meeting with concerned government agencies via Zoom despite his demanding schedule at the 44th and 45th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Laos to give instructions to ensure the safety of the Filipinos in Lebanon.

“We are now going to evacuate our people by whatever means – by air, or by sea,” Marcos said during the meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, and Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año.

“And, just make all the preparations so that malapit na lahat ng asset natin. Kung may barko tayong kukunin, nandiyan na malapit na sa Beirut na sandali lang basta’t the Embassy gives us the clearance and they say that our people can go, mailabas na kaagad natin so that hindi sila naghihintay ng matagal in danger areas,” he added.

(And just make all the preparations so that all our assets are nearby. If we have a ship to get, it's already close to Beirut; it will only take a moment as long as the Embassy gives us the clearance and confirms that our people can go. We can get them out immediately so they won't have to wait long in dangerous areas.)

The alert for Lebanon is currently under level 3, which means repatriation of Filipinos is voluntary.

The exchange of missile attacks between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip have escalated over the past days.

Israeli warplanes launched over 30 overnight air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut on October 6.

As of October 7, there are no reported injuries or casualties among Filipinos since the airstrikes are focused in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Teodoro said the Philippine Government is awaiting clearances from Lebanon before proceeding with the repatriation.

“We’re ready, willing and able [to repatriate Filipinos] at any time. We’re just waiting for the diplomatic clearances of the expatriates to be processed out of Beirut,” Teodoro said.

Chavez said from Beirut, the Filipinos will be brought to Cyprus where they will take a chartered flight going to the Philippines.

As of October 8, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut has received 1,721 applications for repatriation, with 511 already repatriated and 171 ready for repatriation. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)

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