DFA hopes Filipinos in Lebanon repatriate while it's still easy

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday expressed hope that Filipinos in Lebanon would avail of its repatriation program while the airport in Beirut is still open amid the rising tension between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said that Alert Level 3 (voluntary repatriation) was raised in Lebanon so that they could prepare for the repatriation of Filipinos there as early as now.

“Hindi ibig sabihin na pinipilit naming umuwi sila. Pero parang advice ‘to na habang maaga pa lang, sana umuwi na kayo kasi maaaring umakyat ang situation at saka magka-giyera,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(It doesn't mean that we are forcing them to go home. It's an advice that while it's still early, I hope they will go home to the Philippines because the situation in Lebanon may escalate and a war may erupt.)

“Nanggagaling ang Hezbollah sa south ng Lebanon, binabanatan ang Israel. Mamaya konti eh ‘yung Israel baka pati Lebanon lusubin. Hindi natin masabi kasi nangyari na ‘to noon eh,“ he added.

(Hezbollah comes from south Lebanon, and it is attacking Israel. Israel might also attack Lebanon. We can't say because it already happened before.)

Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel's military have been trading fire almost daily since Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and Israel retaliated with air strikes on Gaza.

Over 17,500 Filipinos are living in Lebanon, with 67 residing at the border where Hamas’ ally Hezbollah is stationed, the DFA earlier said.

De Vega stressed that raising Alert Level 3 in Lebanon is not an alarm but a precaution to Filipinos there that there is a repatriation program in place that they could use whenever they want to.

“Habang maaga, habang puwede pa, madali pa — madali pa ngayon — may ticket. Madali. Bukas ang Beirut Airport, eh mataas ang tensyon, iakyat na natin sa Alert Level 3,” he said.

(While it's early, while it's still possible, while it's still easy because there are tickets and the Beirut Airport is open, let's raise it to Alert Level 3 because the tension is high.)

Filipinos who want to repatriate need to fill out a form online, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon said.

The embassy said for more information, Filipinos may contact the following:

• Migrant Workers Office: +961 79 110 729
• ATN Hotline: +961 70 858 086

—KG, GMA Integrated News