Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) urged Filipinos in Lebanon to consider going home due to rising border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We’d like all Filipinos in Lebanon to consider going home,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told CNN Philippines’ The Final Word on Friday.
He added that \”it’s just a matter of time\” before the Philippine government places Lebanon under Alert Level 3, which calls for the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos there.
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\”We are doing this because the situation is rather tense and we already have seen it years ago in 2006 when we had to repatriate Filipinos from Lebanon,\” De Vega explained.
He said the decision is just awaiting the signature of DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo.
There are about 3,000 Filipinos in southern Lebanon, according to the embassy—with 67 living in the southernmost portion, bordering Israel.
De Vega did not rule out the possibility that Alert Level 4 may be raised in Lebanon.
\”If there are actually deaths occurring already in Lebanon, we will raise it to Alert Level 4. Right now the situation is tense but there’s no state of war yet in Lebanon.\”
De Vega said the government has enough funds to fly Filipinos back home.
