DMW: 213 Filipinos in Lebanon 'travel ready' for repatriation

Some 213 Filipinos in Lebanon have already secured their travel documents and are now ready to head back to the Philippines, amid the conflict between Israeli forces and Lebanon-based group Hezbollah, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Friday.

“Patuloy ang ating mga kababayan na nagkakaroon ng preparasyon at flight bookings pauwi. May mga 213 na travel ready, as of this hour,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac told Unang Balita in an interview.

(Our countrymen continue to have preparations and flight bookings to go home. There are 213 who are travel ready, as of this hour.)

Around 20 Filipinos are expected to return to the Philippines this weekend, according to Cacdac.

“Meron din tayong mga flight arrivals na slated this weekend. Kahapon, ang nabanggit ko ay merong higit kumulang 11 nitong weekend ay madagdagan pa yan higit kumulang siyam. So, mga 20 ang inaasahan natin this weekend,” he added.

(We also have flight arrivals slated this weekend. Yesterday, I mentioned that there will be more than 11 this weekend and that increased by more than nine. So, we are now expecting around 20 arrivals this weekend.)

In the latest Israeli attack in Lebanon on Thursday evening, Cacdac said no Filipinos were reported hurt.

Maanwhile, a total of 178 Filipinos are currently staying in shelters in Lebanon, according to to DMW.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday maintained the Alert Level 3 in Lebanon.

Alert Level 3 means Filipinos may opt to be voluntarily repatriated. On the other hand, raising Alert Level 4 would mean that the Philippine government will call for a mandatory repatriation of Filipinos.

In an interview with the Philippine media delegation for the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Lao People's Democratic Republic, Marcos was asked if Lebanon will now be placed under Alert Level 4. He responded, ''Hindi pa (Not yet)."

''It depends on the situation there and the ones who will assess there is the DFA and the embassy,'' he added.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,100 people in Lebanon over the last year. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Reuters also reported that Hezbollah cross-border fire at Israel has killed 53 people, more than half of them civilians.

--Joviland Rita/ VAL GMA Integrated News