PH not keen on raising Alert Level 4 in Lebanon

The Philippine government has no plans of elevating the alert status in Lebanon amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, according to an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

At the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, DFA-Office of Middle East and African Affairs (OMEAA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Marlowe Miranda said that "there's really no need to raise the alert level to 4… the very highest [level]."

Raising Alert Level 4 would mean that the Philippine government would call for a mandatory repatriation of Filipinos.

However, Miranda said the Philippine Embassy in Beirut's ongoing repatriation efforts are as intense as being in Alert Level 4 already.

Alert Level 3 currently remains hoisted in Lebanon, meaning Filipinos may opt to be voluntarily repatriated.

The DFA official said that "there's another camp of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) who don't want Alert Level 4 to be raised kasi eventually hindi na sila makakabalik sa Lebanon 'pag nagpa-repatriate sila."

(There's another camp of OFWs who don't want Alert Level 4 to be raised because, eventually, they would be unable to return to Lebanon if they are repatriated.)

Miranda said OFWs who availed of voluntary repatriation have "greater chance… to be able to return to Lebanon, subject to internal regulations."

"Ayaw nila na forced ang kanilang repatriation… dahil mandatory ang repatriation na sinalihan nila, hindi sila makakuha ng clearance pabalik sa bansang pinilit silang alisin doon," the DFA official said.

Describing the clamor among members of the Filipino community in Lebanon against hoisting Alert Level 4, Miranda said that of the more than 11,000 Filipinos there "only [over] 1,000 availed of voluntary repatriation."

So far, over 500 Filipinos have already returned to the Philippines from Lebanon, while 1,205 more have signified their intent to be repatriated in the past 48 hours, the DFA earlier said.

The Philippine Embassy in Beirut has been urging Filipinos to evacuate while commercial flights are still available amid the continued exchange of rockets between Israel and Hezbollah.

Last week, the DFA said members of the Filipino community in Lebanon are hesitant to leave, adding that they would rather die in war than starve to death.

Delayed repatriation

Flight cancellations going to and from Lebanon have delayed the repatriation of over a dozen Filipinos there.

Fifteen OFWs were supposed to be flown back to the country this week, who were to originally depart Lebanon last Sept. 25, but their flights were rescheduled anew following recent explosions in Beirut.

Of the 15, three OFWs, including one with a medical condition, are rescheduled to fly home on Oct. 11, while the remaining 12 will join 17 other OFWs who are set for repatriation on Oct. 22, "barring unforeseen circumstances," according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

It added that the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Beirut is also arranging the repatriation of 63 more OFWs with complete documentation and clearances to leave Lebanon.

During the forum, Miranda confirmed that a series of flights are scheduled between Oct. 11 and 28 to repatriate Filipinos from Lebanon. — VDV, GMA Integrated News