By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday directed all concerned government agencies to mobilize resources to ensure the safe and timely repatriation of Filipinos affected by the crisis in the Middle East.
Marcos, currently in Laos for the ASEAN Summit, convened concerned government agencies in a meeting via teleconference and ordered them to evacuate Filipinos “by whatever means.”
“We are now going to evacuate our people by whatever means—by air or by sea,” Marcos said.
The meeting was attended by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, 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 the Embassy gives us the clearance and they say that our people can go, mailabas na kaagad natin so that hindi sila naghihintay nang matagal in danger areas,” Marcos said.
“We are going to have to evacuate them. Now, the means by which we will do that is something that we still have to determine because it is an evolving situation. So, bantayan na lang natin,” he added.
Teodoro reported to the President that repatriation of more Filipinos will start once they get all the necessary exit clearances.
Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat assured Marcos that all available measures will be exhausted to expedite the exit clearances, enabling the government to proceed with the repatriation.
Israeli warplanes launched overnight air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Oct. 6.
As of Oct. 7, there are no reported injuries or casualties among Filipinos since the airstrikes are focused in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of that country’s capital, Beirut.
In response to the escalating tensions, the alert level in Lebanon was raised from Level 2 to Level 3 in October 2023, prompting the government to initiate the repatriation of Filipino nationals.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is mobilizing resources in anticipation of a potential widespread conflict.
As of Oct. 8, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut has received 1,721 applications for repatriation, with 511 already repatriated and 171 ready for repatriation.
Financial assistance worth P150,000 from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) were given to each of the repatriated OFWs through the DMW AKSYON Fund and the OWWA Emergency Repatriation Fund.
Reintegration assistance from the DMW and OWWA was also extended along with psychosocial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and medical assistance from the Department of Health (DOH).
Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also distributed training vouchers to the repatriated OFWs.